A real-world study of anlotinib combined with GS regimen as first-line treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer

Background: Anlotinib may boost the efficacy of pancreatic cancer (PC) treatment if timely added to the GS regimen (Gemcitabine, Tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil potassium); however, no data has been published. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of anlotinib in combination with the GS regimen(hereafter referred to as the A+GS regimen) in the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic PC.

Methods: Patients with unresectable or metastatic PC treated at Yueyang Central Hospital and Yueyang People's Hospital between October 2018 and June 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective real-world investigation. Treatment efficacy was evaluated based on the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), and objective response rate (ORR), while the treatment safety was assessed by the frequency of major adverse events (AEs).

Results: Seventy-one patients were included in this study, 41 in the GS group and 30 in the A+GS group. The A+GS group had a longer mPFS than the GS group (12.0 months (95% CI, 6.0-18.0) and 6.0 months (95% CI, 3.0-8.1)), respectively (P = 0.005). mOS was longer in the GS+A group) when compared with the GS group (17.0 months (95%CI, 14.0-20.0) and 10.0 months (95% CI, 7.5-12.5)), respectively (P = 0.018). The GS+A group had higher ORR (50.0% vs 26.8%, P = 0.045) and DCR (83.3% vs 58.5%, P = 0.026). Furthermore, there were no grade 4-5 AEs and no treatment-related deaths, and no discernible increase in AEs in the GS+A group when compared with the GS group.

Conclusion: The A+GS regimen therapy holds great promise in managing treatment-naive advanced PC, except that future prospective studies with larger sample sizes and multiple centers are required to determine its efficacy and safety.