Li J, et al. - In this study, 33 candidates with advanced esophageal were studied to quantify the clinical effectiveness of apatinib combined with docetaxel, and docetaxel combined with S-1 as second- or further-line treatment for advanced esophageal cancer cases. Participants were separated into either the chemotherapy group or apatinib combined with chemotherapy group. Partial response in the chemotherapy group and the apatinib combined with chemotherapy group was reported in 2 and 5 candidates, respectively. The most common grade III/IV adverse events (AEs) observed in the chemotherapy group were anemia (11.1%) and neutropenia (5.6%); in the apatinib combination group, the most common grade III/IV AEs were anemia (13.3%), proteinuria (6.7%) and hypertension (6.7%). Complete response was not seen in either group. They overall suggested apatinib combined with docetaxel to be the most useful, with a manageable toxicity profile and the possibility of prolonging survival. Median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the apatinib combination group (175 days) vs the chemotherapy group (85 days).