title: Bevacizumab and breast cancer: what does the future hold?
abstract: Breast cancer is a major health concern for many women, but despite the current standard therapies, many women still die of metastatic disease. Angiogenesis has been evaluated as a possible target for therapy and bevacizumab (Avastin(®), Genentech/Roche, CA, USA), a monoclonal antibody against VEGF-A, has been developed to target this. Current clinical trials utilizing bevacizumab have shown an increase in progression-free survival, but this has not translated to an increase in overall survival in breast cancer patients. In this article, we summarize the currently published trials utilizing bevacizumab in the treatment of breast cancer and describe various methods of measuring angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. We also describe the related process of lymphangiogenesis, as this may contribute to the mechanism of cancer progression and may be a potential target for therapy in the future. Understanding these processes may help us develop new treatments for breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Christina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagahashi
authors.forename: Subramaniam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Akimitsu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Harry D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Bear
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takabe
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068258:Bevacizumab