Endostar continuous versus intermittent intravenous infusion combined with chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC: a systematic review and meta-analysis including non-randomized studies

Advancing perspectives on the off-label use of anticancer drugs: an updated classification and exploration of categories

To date, the definition that the off-label usage of drugs refers to the unapproved use of approved drugs, which covers unapproved indications, patient populations, doses, and/or routes of administration, has been in existence for many years. Currently, there is a limited frequency and prevalence of research on the off-label use of antineoplastic drugs, mainly due to incomplete definition and classification issues. It is time to embrace new categories for the off-label usage of anticancer drugs. This review provided an insight into an updated overview of the concept and categories of the off-label use of anticancer drugs, along with illustrating specific examples to establish the next studies about the extent of the off-label usage of anticancer drugs in the oncology setting. The scope of the off-label use of current anticancer drugs beyond the previous definitions not only includes off-label uses in terms of indications, patient populations, doses, and/or routes of administration but also off-label use in terms of medication course, combination, sequence of medication, clinical purpose, contraindications scenarios, etc. In addition, the definition of the off-label usage of anticancer drugs should be added to the condition at a given time, and it varies from approval authorities. We presented a new and relatively comprehensive classification, providing extensive analysis and illustrative examples of the off-label usage of antineoplastic drugs for the first time. Such a classification has the potential to promote practical adoption and enhance management strategies for the off-label use of antitumor drugs.

Recombinant Endostatin as a Potential Radiosensitizer in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent type of lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Over the past decades, tumour angiogenesis has been intensely studied in the treatment of NSCLC due to its fundamental role in cancer progression. Several anti-angiogenic drugs, such as recombinant endostatin (RE), have been evaluated in several preclinical and clinical trials, with mixed and often disappointing results. However, there is currently an emerging interest in RE due to its ability to create a vascular normalization window, which could further improve treatment efficacy of the standard NSCLC treatment. This review provides an overview of preclinical and clinical studies that combined RE and radiotherapy for NSCLC treatment. Furthermore, it highlights the ongoing challenges that have to be overcome in order to maximize the benefit; as well as the potential advantage of combinations with particle therapy and immunotherapy, which are rapidly gaining momentum in the treatment landscape of NSCLC. Different angiogenic and immunosuppressive effects are observed between particle therapy and conventional X-ray radiotherapy. The combination of RE, particle therapy and immunotherapy presents a promising future therapeutic triad for NSCLC.

Rh‐endostatin plus camrelizumab and chemotherapy in first‐line treatment of advanced non‐small cell lung cancer: A multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Clinical evidence of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with antiangiogenic drugs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was limited. Recombinant human endostatin (rh-endostatin), an antiangiogenic drug, and camrelizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, have been approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in China. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of rh-endostatin plus camrelizumab and chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

Eligible patients were enrolled and received camrelizumab (200 mg, day 1) every 3 weeks and continuous intravenous infusion of rh-endostatin (70 mg/day, days 1-3) and cisplatin combined with pemetrexed (for adenocarcinoma) or paclitaxel (for NSCLC other than adenocarcinoma) every 3 weeks. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and safety profiles.

RESULTS

Overall, 27 patients were included, and 25 patients were eligible for efficacy evaluation. For these 25 patients, ORR was 48.15% (13/27) and DCR was 85.19% (23/27). With a median follow-up of 10.37 months, the median PFS was 8.9 (95% CI: 4.23-13.57) months. Median OS was not reached. Overall, 96.3% of patients experienced at least one treatment-related adverse event, and grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 9 (33.3%) patients. No unexpected AEs were observed.

CONCLUSION

Rh-endostatin plus camrelizumab and chemotherapy showed favorable efficacy and safety profile in patients with advanced NSCLC, representing a promising treatment regimen for these patients.

Endostatin induces normalization of blood vessels in colorectal cancer and promotes infiltration of CD8+ T cells to improve anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to evaluate recombinant human endostatin (rHE)-induced normalization of the tumor vasculature in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to evaluate the therapeutic effects of combined treatment with rHE and a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor.

METHODS

A mouse subcutaneous tumorigenesis model was established to evaluate the antitumor effects of endostatin combined with a PD-L1 inhibitor on CRC. Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-DW MRI) was used to evaluate changes in the intratumor microcirculation in response to combined treatment with endostatin and a PD-L1 inhibitor. The infiltration density and function of CD8+ T cells in tumors were evaluated using flow cytometry. Finally, clinical specimens were used to evaluate the expression area of tumor vascular pericytes and CD8+ T cells in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

The antitumor effects of endostatin combined with a PD-L1 inhibitor were significantly greater than those of endostatin or a PD-L1 inhibitor alone. On the ninth day of intervention, the endostatin group showed significantly higher pseudo diffusion parameter (D*) and microvascular volume fraction (F) values in tumors than those in the control group or PD-L1 group. After 27 days of intervention, the endostatin groups showed significantly lower levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β than those in the control group. Treatment of CD8+ T cells with endostatin for 24 h did not alter the expression levels of markers of reduced T-cell activity. However, endostatin reversed the VEGF-mediated inhibition of the secretion of interferon (IFN)-γ from T cells. The results in CRC clinical samples showed that treatment with endostatin induced significantly higher infiltration of CD8+ T cells compared with treatment that did not include endostatin. Furthermore, the expression area of pericytes was significantly positively related to the infiltration density of CD8+ T cells and overall survival time.

CONCLUSION

Endostatin improved the antitumor effects of PD-L1 inhibitors on CRC, significantly increased the activity of CD8+ T cells, and synergistically improved the tumor treatment effect of the two inhibitors.

Systematic Evaluation Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Recombinant Human Endostatin Combined with Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of recombinant human endostatin combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. The databases of Cochrane Library, Embase, ClinicalTrials, PubMed, HowNet, Wanfang, and VIP were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of recombinant human endostatin combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin (experimental group) and gemcitabine combined with cisplatin (control group) for comparative study. The quality of literature was evaluated by bias risk assessment tools and related scales, and then meta-analysis was performed. Results. A total of 27 RCTs (1646 patients) were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the effective rate ( $P$  < 0.000 01) and benefit rate ( $P$  < 0.000 01) of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group, the incidence of leucopenia ( $P$  = 0.79), thrombocytopenia ( $P$  = 0.39), and gastrointestinal reaction ( $P$  = 0.85) were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The combination of recombinant human endostatin, gemcitabine, and cisplatin can increase the efficacy and safety of NSCLC patients.

Efficacy and safety of recombinant human endostatin during peri-radiotherapy period in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Background: This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of recombinant human endostatin (Rh-endostatin) combined with radiotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with unresectable stage III and IV NSCLC who treated with radiotherapy were enrolled. Patients who received Rh-endostatin infusion throughout the whole peri-radiotherapy period formed the Endostar group, and those who received no Rh-endostatin infusion were the control group. Results: The median progression-free survival was 8.0 and 4.4 months (hazard ratio: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.32-0.90; p = 0.019) and median overall survival was 40.0 and 13.1 months (hazard ratio: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.28-0.98; p = 0.045) for the Endostar and control groups, respectively. The Endostar group exhibited a numerically lower rate of radiation pneumonitis relapse, radiation pneumonitis death and pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusion: Rh-endostatin infusion throughout the peri-radiotherapy period enhanced radiosensitivity and showed better survival outcomes and a tendency toward fewer radiation-related pulmonary events in patients with NSCLC.

Endostar Plus Apatinib Successfully Achieved Long Term Progression-Free Survival in Refractory Ovarian Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common malignancy in the gynecological tumor. Standard treatment for ovarian cancer is surgery and chemotherapy based on paclitaxel and platinum. However, traditional chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is limited by drug resistance and systemic side effects. It is imperative to explore effective treatment options for refractory ovarian cancer.

Case Presentation

A 52-year-old female initially presented with lower abdominal distension and migratory pain. After the laparoscopic exploration and biopsy, immunohistochemistry showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma originated from ovarian (cT3NxM1, stage IV, peritoneal and abdominal wall metastasis). The next generation sequence detected ERRFI1 (T187A, exon4) mutation.

Results

The patient received first-line chemotherapy (paclitaxel, nedaplatin plus avastin), followed by maintenance therapy with gefitinib, achieving a 15-month progression-free survival (PFS). After disease progression and second-line treatment failure, endostar plus apatinib was administered for 14 cycles and she obtained a PFS of 14 months without long-term adverse events.

Conclusion

We believe that the ERRFI1 gene may be a potential target of gefitinib. Importantly, endostar combined with apatinib is worth recommending for maintenance treatment in refractory ovarian cancer.

The Efficacy and Safety of Continuous Intravenous Endostar Treatment Combined With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of Endostar combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma (LACSC).

Methods

A total of 91 patients with LACSC admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2019 to December 2020 were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 48) or control group (n = 43). The control group received radiotherapy for cervical cancer and paclitaxel combined with platinum chemotherapy (CCRT), and the experimental group received Endostar continuous intravenous infusion of anti-angiogenic therapy plus CCRT. The short-term efficacy, common clinical indicators, tumor indicators, changes in serum vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) were explored after treatment.

Results

Compared with the control group, the complete response (CR) rate in the experimental group was significantly increased (83.33% vs 65.12%, P < 0.05). Both routine indicators and tumor indicators in the two groups were significantly decreased compared to before treatment. Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group had higher incidences of neutropenia, hypertension, and infection, but lower incidence of nausea. After treatment, the serological expression of VEGF-A was significantly decreased in both groups.

Conclusion

Endostar combined with CCRT in the treatment of LACSC can further improve the efficacy of CR rate and significantly reduce serum tumor indicators and VEGF-A levels, with mild and controllable AEs. Endostar combined with CCRT is expected to be a new treatment regimen for LACSC.

A rapid response of lung squamous cell carcinoma following treatment with sintilimab combined with recombinant humane endostatin injection and nab-paclitaxel in an elderly patient: A case report

RATIONALE

At present, the prognosis of patients with giant lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is poor, and there is no safe and effective treatment for elderly patients with large LSCC.

PATIENT CONCERNS

Here, we reported a 77-year-old man admitted to the hospital with cough for 3 months and significant chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) imaging showed a large mass in the left lung with pleural effusion.

DIAGNOSES

Chest CT scan revealed a 12.5 cm × 7.3 cm mass in the left upper lobe adjacent to the pulmonary vein, with left pleural effusion. Pulmonary tumor markers were significantly elevated, and CT-guided percutaneous lung mass biopsy specimens showed LSCC.

INTERVENTIONS

After diagnosis, the patient was treated with sintilimab combined with endostar and nab-paclitaxel. After 2 cycles of treatment, the lung mass in the patient shrank rapidly and the clinical symptoms were relieved.

OUTCOMES

The patient's tumor dramatically shrank, and the pleural effusion was decreased after 4 cycles of treatment without any adverse effects. Meanwhile, the high-level tumor marker resumed normal.

LESSONS

Sintilimab combined with endostar and nab-paclitaxel may be a good treatment option for lung squamous cell cancer, especially for that in elderly patients.