title: Bevacizumab plus irinotecan in recurrent WHO grade 3 malignant gliomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although patients with newly diagnosed WHO grade 3 malignant glioma have a more favorable prognosis than those with WHO grade 4 malignant glioma, salvage therapies following recurrence offer essentially palliative benefit. We did a phase II trial of bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor, in combination with irinotecan for patients with recurrent grade 3 malignant glioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Upon documentation of adequate safety among an initial cohort of nine patients treated with bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) and irinotecan every 14 days, a second cohort (n=24) was treated with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) every 3 weeks with irinotecan on days 1, 8, 22, and 29 of each 42-day cycle. For both cohorts, the dose of irinotecan was 340 mg/m(2) for patients on enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAED) and 125 mg/m(2) for patients not on EIAEDs. After each 6-week cycle, patients were evaluated with a physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 6-month progression-free survival was 55% (95% confidence interval, 36-70%). The 6-month overall survival was 79% (95% confidence interval, 61-89%). Twenty patients (61%) had at least a partial response. Outcome did not differ between the two treatment cohorts. Significant adverse events were infrequent and included a central nervous system hemorrhage in one patient, and one patient who developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bevacizumab and irinotecan is an active regimen with acceptable toxicity for patients with recurrent WHO grade 3 malignant glioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. desja002@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desjardins
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcello
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Jeremy N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Sith
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sathornsumetee
authors.forename: Sridharan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gururangan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Leighann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Darell D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
authors.forename: Allan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Henry S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vredenburgh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000077146:Irinotecan; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D002166:Camptothecin