Abstract:
Objective To investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of apatinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2inhibitor, in the treatment of temozolomide-resistant recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) and observe the changes in the expression of immune factors during treatment.
Methods Enrolled in Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2018 to October 2020, 51 patients with recurrent GBM who did not respond satisfactorily to first-line treatment were treated with apatinib combined with temozolomide.They received 500 mg/day of apatinib for 2 weeks (d1-14), rested for 1 week, and started oral temozolomide (150 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days with a cycle of 28 days). Peripheral blood samples were collected before and after treatment, and the levels of soluble programmed cell death-1(sPD-1), soluble programmed death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 in the peripheral blood were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed every 4 weeks to assess tumor volume.
Results The objective effective rate (ORR) was 33.33% (17/51). The disease control rate (DCR) was 75% (37/51). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) time was 5.9 months, and the 2-year overall survival (OS) rate was 24.9%. The most common adverse events were grade1-2 hypertension and fatigue. There was a significant correlation between changes in the levels of sPD-1(r=-0.846, P=0.001), sPD-L1 (r=0.874, P<0.001), and IL-6 (r=0.769, P=0.003) and a change in tumor volume. A weak and insignificant correlation (r=0.538, P=0.071) was found between a change in the IL-10 level and a change in tumor volume.
Conclusions Apatinib was safe and effective for the durg-resistant recurrent GBM, and changes in the expression of immune factors were closely related to the curative effect.