Adjuvant apatinib treatment after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis: a phase II trial

BACKGROUND: Survival after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) still remains poor. Apatinib, a vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2 inhibitor, has been shown to be safe and effective in patients with advanced HCC, so in the present study its efficacy and safety in the adjuvant setting was explored. METHODS: In this single-center, open-label phase II trial, the patients received apatinib (500 mg/day) until they experienced disease recurrence or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS); the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. RESULTS: From a total of 49 patients who were screened between August 2017 and December 2018, 30 study participants received apatinib. According to the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan classification of PVTT, there were 7, 11, and 12 participants with Vp1, Vp2, and Vp3, respectively. The median duration of treatment was 4.8 months [interquartile range (IQR): 2.0–8.8], and the median dose of apatinib was 339.7 mg/day (IQR: 267.7–500 mg/day). The median follow-up was 14.3 months (IQR: 12.3–19.3). The median RFS was 7.6 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.7–9.5 months]. The 1-year RFS rate and the 1-year OS rate were 36.1% and 93.3%, respectively. A total of 29 (96.7%) patients experienced adverse events, and 14 (46.7%) had grade 3 or 4 adverse events. No treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib was well tolerated in patients after resection of HCC with PVTT. The median RFS in this group was improved compared with that previously reported. TRIAL REGISTRATION: No.: NCT03261791 (ClinicalTrials.gov).