Abstract: Objective To analyze the characteristics of medications with apatinib mesylate in the treatment of malignant tumors, and to provide reference for the safe clinical use of apatinib. Methods A retrospective investigation was conducted to retrieve information from the HIS system on the treatment of patients who had used apatinib in the Department of Oncology in our hospital between 2018 and 2020. Results Among the 69 patients taking apatinib, 49 were males and 20 were females, with an average age of 64.8±10.1 years old. The KPS scores were low, mostly 70 and 60. Clinical diagnosis was mostly gastric cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer. Stage IV patients accounted for 82.6%. The proportions of patients who took apatinib of 500 mg qd and 250 mg qd were larger. This drug was most commonly used in combination with proton pump inhibitors, traditional Chinese medicine injections, antiemetic drugs and antibacterial drugs. About 20% of the patients' conditions were improved and stable based on imaging evaluation, but one in three patients progressed. The most common adverse reactions were fatigue, elevated blood pressure and skin damage. Conclusion Apatinib is widely used in malignant tumors in clinical practice, but there are cases of off-label use. Physicians should attach importance to rational use and adjust dosage quickly according to efficacy and adverse reactions. Clinical pharmacists should provide good pharmaceutical care, minimize the influence of drug interactions, and ensure safe drug use for patients.

Key words: apatinib, malignant tumor, drug analysis, adverse drug reaction, pharmaceutical care