Apatinib as a Third-Line Treatment for HER2-Positive Metastatic Gastric Cancer: A Multi-Center Single-Arm Cohort Study

Purpose: Treatment options are limited after the failure of first-and second-line treatments in patients with HER2+ metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). The present study aimed to explore the efficacy, safety, and prognostic factors of apatinib efficacy as a third-line therapy for patients with human epithelial growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) mGC. Materials and Methods: A total of 59 HER2+ mGC patients who received apatinib as third-line therapy were retrospectively enrolled in this two-center, single-arm, cohort study; the clinical response, survival data, and adverse events were retrieved. Results: The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9-6.5), and the median overall survival (OS) was 8.2 months (95% CI, 6.6-9.8) Furthermore, forward stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that a higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score and multiple metastases were independently correlated with decreased PFS and OS (both P