[Clinical efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with chemotherapy for osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma with pulmonary metastasis].

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and drug safety between oral apatinib combined with conventional chemotherapy and conventional chemotherapy alone for the treatment of osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis. Methods: Thirty-three osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis who were treated in the Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. Patients with osteosarcoma received methotrexate, adriamycin (ADM), cisplatin (CDDP), ifosfamide (IFO) sequential regimen; patients with soft tissue sarcoma were treated with IFO and ADM regimen. Eighteen of these patients received an additional oral dose of apatinib. The patients were followed up regularly for changes in primary tumors and metastases, adverse reactions and prognosis. Results: Before treatment, the maximum diameter of pulmonary metastases in patients of apatinib group and routine treatment group were (4.46±1.70) cm and (4.53±2.00) cm, respectively, without significant difference (P=0.909). After treatment, the maximum diameter of pulmonary metastases in patients of apatinib group was (1.46±1.39) cm, significantly smaller than (3.02±1.20) cm of routine treatment group (P=0.002). After treatment, the maximum diameter of the primary lesions in the apatinib group and the conventional treatment group median decreased 0.31 cm and 0.12 cm, respectively, without significant difference (P=0.542). After treatment, the maximum diameter of the lung metastases in the apatinib group median decreased 0.59 cm, significantly more than 0.18 cm of the conventional treatment group (P=0.027). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.4 months in the 33 patients. The median PFS was 9.6 months and 8.3 months in the apatinib group and the conventional treatment group, respectively, without significant difference (P=0.593). Specific adverse reactions both occurred in apatinib group and routine treatment group, mainly including oral mucosal reactions and digestive tract reactions (including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea). Conclusions: Apatinib can effectively reduce the volume of primary and metastatic lesions in patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma accompanied by lung metastasis without reducing the survival rate or causing uncontrollable adverse reactions. The safety and clinical efficacy of apatinib are significant.