Apatinib for Metastatic Esophageal Cancer.

Patients with esophageal cancer that had metastatic lesions after been treated with surgery or definitive chemoradiotherapy are being asked to participate in this study. Apatinib is a small-molecule vascular endothelial growth factors receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, similar to vatalanib (PTK787), but with a binding affinity 10 times that of vatalanib or sorafenib. The purpose of this study is to determine what effects apatinib has on metastatic esophageal cancer. These effects include whether apatinib could shrink the tumor or slow down its growth and what side effects apatinib will have on the tumor.