Efficacy and Safety of Gefitinib Plus Anlotinib for Patients with EGFR Positive Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Exploratory Study

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of gefitinib plus anlotinib for patients with EGFR positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a first-line setting. METHODS: A total of 36 patients with previously-untreated EGFR positive advanced NSCLC were included in this study retrospectively. All patients were administered with gefitinib plus anlotinib combination therapy. The efficacy of the patients was evaluated with the change of target lesion using imaging evidence according to RECIST 1.1 criteria and all the patients were followed up regularly. Adverse reactions were collected and documented during the combination administration. Univariate analysis according to the baseline characteristic subgroup was implemented using Log rank test and multivariate analysis was adjusted by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: All the 36 patients included in our study were available for efficacy and safety analysis. Best overall response of the patients during gefitinib plus anlotinib administration suggested that partial response was observed in 30 patients, stable disease was noted in five patients, and progressive disease was found in one patient, which yielded an objective response rate (ORR) of 83.3% (95% CI=67.2–93.6%) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 97.2% (95% CI=85.5–99.9%). Prognostic data indicated that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of the 36 patients with NSCLC was 15.2 months (95% CI=8.15–22.26). Furthermore, the median overall survival (OS) of the 36 patients was 35.9 months (95% CI=22.77–49.03). Additionally, the most common adverse reactions of the patients with NSCLC were diarrhea (63.9%), fatigue (58.3%), hypertension (50.0%), rash (44.4%), and nausea and vomiting (41.7%). Furthermore, ECOG performance status was associated with PFS of gefitinib plus anlotinib combination therapy in baseline characteristic subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: Gefitinib plus anlotinib regimen demonstrated encouraging efficacy and an acceptable safety profile for patients with previously untreated EGFR positive NSCLC preliminarily. The conclusion should be validated in prospective clinical trials subsequently.