2186 - Efficacy and safety of apatinib for the treatment of AFP-producing gastric cancer

Background

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) poses a therapeutic challenge worldwide because of its poor prognosis. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib targeted therapy in advanced AFPGC and investigate the predictive factors of apatinib treatment.

Methods

Three hundred thirty-seven patients were enrolled in the clinical trial AHEAD-G202, an open-label, prospective, multicenter, non-interventional study of apatinib for advanced metastatic gastric cancer. Among them, we recruited all the patients identified with AFPGC for this study. The clinical features, efficacy, adverse events, and survival were assessed.

Results

We enrolled 21 patients with AFPGC into this study. The objective response rate (ORR) of apatinib in patients with AFPGC was 10%, whereas the disease control rate (DCR) was 70%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.5 months [95%confidence interval (CI): 2.34-4.66]. The median overall survival (OS) was 4.5 months (95%CI: 3.49-5.51). The common grade adverse events (AEs) were hypertension (33.3%), fatigue (23.8%), and myelosuppression (19.0%). The most common grade 3 to 4 AEs were hypertension (4.8%), hand-foot syndrome (4.8%), anorexia (4.8%), and vomiting and nausea (4.8%). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) elevation was considered to be a potential independent predictive factor (P = 0.030).

Conclusions

Apatinib showed promising efficacy and an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced AFPGC. Antiangiogenic therapy may be a good strategy for the treatment of AFPGC.

Clinical trial identification

AHEAD-G202 (NCT02668380).

Editorial acknowledgement

Elsevier Language Editing Services.

Legal entity responsible for the study

The author.

Funding

Jiangsu HengRui Medcine Co., Ltd.; 2016 PUMCH Science Fund for Junior Faculty (Pumch-2016-1.13); Chinese Anti-cancer Association (CORP-143-09).

Disclosure

The author has declared no conflicts of interest.