title: Bevacizumab in pediatric patients: how safe is it?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The safety profile of bevacizumab was evaluated in a cohort of children with either recurrent or poor-prognosis malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bevacizumab was administered intravenously at the dosage of 5-10 mg/kg every 14-28 days alone or in combination with other agents. Toxicity was reported according to common toxicity criteria version 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen patients received a total of 156 bevacizumab doses (median 5 doses/pt) for a median treatment duration of 2 months (range 1-21). Grade II-III lymphopenia was recorded in 10 patients, while grade III proteinuria and grade I epistaxis occurred in one patient each. Grade III wound dehiscence was observed in one case and 3 severe adverse events (SAEs) were recorded: one reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) with grade IV seizures and grade IV hypertension, one grade IV hypertension and a post-operative grade IV entero-cutaneous fistula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present cohort, the overall incidence of SAEs (17%) was higher than previously reported, thus, further studies should be justified to better characterize the safety profile of bevacizumab in the pediatric population.
authors: Hematology/Oncology Department, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù IRCCS, Piazza S.Onofrio 4, 00165 Roma, Italy.
authors: Maria Debora
authors: MD
authors: de Pasquale
authors: Aurora
authors: A
authors: Castellano
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: de Sio
authors: Clementina
authors: C
authors: de Laurentis
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Mastronuzzi
authors: Annalisa
authors: A
authors: Serra
authors: Raffaele
authors: R
authors: Cozza
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Jenkner
authors: Maria Antonietta
authors: MA
authors: de Ioris
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab