Comparison of Endostar continuous versus intermittent intravenous infusion in combination with first‐line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Intravenous infusion of Endostar for three to four hours per day for 14 days reduces patient compliance and affects quality of life. Continuous intravenous infusion (CI) represents a novel method of administration; however, it is unclear whether it is effective and safe when compared to the traditional method. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) administered CI (20 patients) or intermittent intravenous infusion (II, 49 patients) of Endostar combined with first‐line chemotherapy. Three patients in the II group discontinued therapy because of adverse effects. RESULTS: Median progression‐free survival was 6.0 months in the CI group and 3.8 months in the II group, with no significant difference (P = 0.1). The objective response and disease control rates were also similar in the CI and II groups (40.0 vs. 32.6%, P = 0.562; 65 vs. 69.6%, P = 0.714, respectively). CONCLUSION: CI of Endostar combined with first‐line chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC had similar progression‐free survival, objective response, and overall response rates as II, with tolerable adverse effects.