Efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy in treatment of driver gene mutation-negative non-small cell lung cancer patients with multiple brain metastases / 肿瘤研究与临床

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy in the treatment of driver gene mutation-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with multiple brain metastases.Methods:Forty-two driver gene mutation-negative NSCLC patients with multiple brain metastases who were admitted to Shaoxing People's Hospital from March 2018 to March 2022 were included. Among them, 21 patients in the anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy group were enrolled from a prospective single-arm study (clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR1900027769), and the patients in the whole brain radiation therapy-alone group were enrolled from a concurrent retrospective study, and after 1∶1 propensity score matching, a total of 21 patients were finally included. The intracranial objective response rate (iORR), intracranial disease control rate (iDCR), intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events were compared between the two groups.Results:Among 21 patients in the arotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy group, there were 1 case (4.8%) of complete remission (CR), 13 cases (61.9%) of partial remission (PR), 6 cases (28.6%) of stable disease (SD), and 1 case (4.8%) of progressive disease (PD). Among 21 patients in the whole brain radiation therapy-alone group, there were 0 case of CR, 10 cases (47.6%) of PR, 7 cases (33.3%) of SD, and 4 cases (19.0%) of PD. The iORR was 66.7% (14/21) and 47.6% (10/21) in the anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy group and whole brain radiation therapy-alone group, respectively ( P = 0.212), and the iDCR was 95.2% (20/21) and 81.0% (17/21), respectively ( P = 0.343). The median iPFS time was 10.4 and 5.3 months in the anrotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy group and the whole brain radiation therapy-alone group, respectively, and the difference in iPFS between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.049); the 1-year OS rate was 50.5% and 39.5%, and the 2-year OS rate was 29.9% and 26.3%, respectively, with the median OS time of 13.4 and 6.6 months, respectively. The difference in OS between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P = 0.452). The most common treatment-related adverse effects in the anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy group were loss of appetite (13/21, 61.9%), hypertension (11/21, 52.4%), fatigue (10/21, 47.6%), diarrhea (6/21, 28.6%), vomiting (6/21, 28.6%), dizziness (9/21, 42.9%), and headache (8/21, 38.1%). No ≥grade 4 adverse effects were observed, and there were no significant differences in adverse effects between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:Anlotinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy can prolong the iPFS time of driver gene mutation-negative NSCLC patients with multiple brain metastases, and it is well-tolerated in terms of safety.