Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity profile of apatinib for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We systematically searched databases for randomized clinical trials published as of November 25, 2017, in which apatinib treatment was compared to placebo or chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Two investigators independently assessed the articles and extracted their data. The hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free survival (PFS), relative risks (RRs) for overall response rates (ORRs), disease control rates (DCRs), and odds ratios (ORs) for main toxicity were analyzed using the RevMan 5.3 software (Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014). Results: Our analysis included 413 patients from 5 clinical studies. The pooled HR for PFS was 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.48; P < 0.00001). The pooled RRs for ORR and DCR were 2.03 (95% CI 1.36-3.01; P = 0.0005) and 1.66 (95% CI 1.07-2.57; P = 0.02), respectively. The pooled OR for main toxicity was 1.34 (95% CI, 0.57-3.17; P = 0.5). Conclusions: Apatinib was a viable treatment alternative for advanced NSCLC, as it offered a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in PFS, ORR, and DCR. Moreover, therapy with apatinib did not significantly increase toxicity.
Keywords: meta-analysis; apatinib; non-small-cell lung cancer.