Comparison of Endostar continuous versus intermittent intravenous infusion in combination with first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Intravenous infusion of Endostar for three to four hours per day for 14 days reduces patient compliance and affects quality of life. Continuous intravenous infusion (CI) represents a novel method of administration; however, it is unclear whether it is effective and safe when compared to the traditional method.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) administered CI (20 patients) or intermittent intravenous infusion (II, 49 patients) of Endostar combined with first-line chemotherapy. Three patients in the II group discontinued therapy because of adverse effects.

Results: Median progression-free survival was 6.0 months in the CI group and 3.8 months in the II group, with no significant difference (P = 0.1). The objective response and disease control rates were also similar in the CI and II groups (40.0 vs. 32.6%, P = 0.562; 65 vs. 69.6%, P = 0.714, respectively).

Conclusion: CI of Endostar combined with first-line chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC had similar progression-free survival, objective response, and overall response rates as II, with tolerable adverse effects.