Effect and safety of anlotinib combined with S-1 for recurrent or metastatic esophageal cancer patients who refused or were intolerant to intravenous chemotherapy

This study aimed to evaluate the effect and safety of anlotinib combined with S-1 in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic esophageal cancer patients who refused or were intolerant to intravenous chemotherapy. This study retrospectively reviewed 22 recurrent or metastatic esophageal cancer patients who refused or were intolerant to intravenous chemotherapy between June 1, 2018 and February 28, 2019. All patients did not previously receive anlotinib or S-1. Of 22 patients, 20 patients had squamous cell cancer. Seventeen patients received at least 2 cycles of anlotinib plus S-1. The objective response rate (ORR) was 35.3%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 82.4%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.5 months, and median overall survival (OS) was 5.2 months. In the first-line treatment subgroup, the ORR was 50%, the DCR was 80%, the median PFS was 4.5 months, and the median OS was 5.8 months. In the second-line and above treatment subgroup, the ORR was 14.3%, the DCR was 85.7%, the median PFS was 3.0 months, and the median OS was 3.7 months. The main adverse events (AEs) of anlotinib combined with S-1 were fatigue (58.8%), hypertension (47.1%), hemoptysis (29.4%), anemia (29.4%), nausea (23.5%), liver function damage (23.5%), albuminuria (17.6%), abdominal pain (17.6%), leukopenia (17.6%), neutropenia (11.8%), fever (11.8%), and hand-foot syndrome (11.8%). Grade 3 AEs included nausea (5.9%) and hypertension (5.9%), and no grade 4 or more AEs were reported. Anlotinib combined with S-1 achieved promising disease control and satisfactory survival with tolerable safety in recurrent metastatic esophageal cancer who refused or were intolerant to intravenous chemotherapy.