Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of anlotinib combined with radiotherapy to the head for patients with brain metastases from NSCLC.

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of combining cranial radiotherapy (CRT; radiotherapy tot the head) with and without anlotinib (AL3818) for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases (BM). The data showed that anlotinib plus CRT significantly improved survival without brain tumors worsening for these patients.

NSCLC is the most common form of lung cancer. NSCLC is responsible for around 85% of all lung cancer diagnoses. Treatment for NSCLC includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical removal of tumors. In 20-40% of cases, NSCLC spreads from the lung to the brain. The most common treatment for BM is CRT.

Anlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). TKIs block enzymes that are responsible for many cellular functions in the body. Anlotinib works by stopping tumors from forming new blood vessels and spreading. Anlotinib has been shown to improve survival outcomes in patients with NSCLC and BM. However, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of CRT combined with anlotinib for the treatment of patients with NSCLC and BM.

This study involved 73 patients with NSCLC and BM. The patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 included 28 patients who received anlotinib plus CRT. Group 2 included 45 patients who received CRT alone. The average follow-up time was 9.82 months.

Overall, 89.3% of patients in group 1 responded to treatment compared to 80% of patients in group 2. The average survival without cancer progression in the brain was significantly higher in group 1 (11 months) compared to group 2 (3 months). Anlotinib plus CRT significantly decreased the risk of cancer progression by 48% compared to CRT alone.

The average overall survival was slightly longer for group 1 (8.5 months) compared to group 2 (6 months).

This study concluded that anlotinib plus CRT significantly improved survival without cancer progression in the brain for the treatment of patients with NSCLC and BM.

This study looked back in time at medical records. The sample size was very small. Larger studies with longer follow-up times are needed to fully validate the conclusions of this study.