Apatinib and S-1 combination therapy for the treatment of advanced head and neck neoplasms: Three case reports

Apatinib, one of the novel oral antiangiogenic agents, shows survival benefits in treating advanced or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. However, its efficacy in treating advanced head and neck neoplasms has not been reported. Herein, three elderly men with advanced head and neck neoplasms were treated with apatinib and S-1. Their initial diagnoses were hypopharyngeal carcinoma, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, and squamous cell carcinoma of the pyriform sinus. All patients underwent repeated chemotherapy but developed disease progression. As they refused radiotherapy due to its serious adverse reaction, apatinib was administered at a dose of 425 mg daily and S-1 at 60 mg twice daily. Thirty days after apatinib administration, the patients achieved partial response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 standard. Mild toxicity or drug-related side effect was observed during the treatment. Therefore, apatinib and S-1 could be the new treatment option for advanced head and neck neoplasms. However, clinical trials are required to confirm their efficacy and safety.