Results of a randomized and controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with Endostar and S-1 combined with oxaliplatin in advanced gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of Endostar (recombinant human endostatin) and S-1 combined with oxaliplatin (SOX) in patients with advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled trial, 165 late-stage gastric cancer patients were assigned to the experimental arm with Endostar in combination with SOX (80 patients) and the control arm with SOX alone (85 patients). The end points of this study included progression-free survival, response rate, and disease-control rate. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in response rate between the experimental arm and the control arm (53.8% vs 42.4%, P=0.188). The difference in disease-control rate was also statistically insignificant between the two arms (85.0% vs 72.9%, P=0.188). Progression-free survival in the experimental arm was significantly higher than that in the control arm (15.0 months vs 12.0 months, P=0.0001). Common adverse events included immunosuppression, gastrointestinal distress, and neuropathy. There was no statistical difference in the incidences of adverse events. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy of Endostar and SOX provides therapeutic benefits to advanced gastric cancer patients, with tolerable adverse effects.