title: Bevacizumab combination therapy: for the first-line treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.
abstract: Bevacizumab is a recombinant, humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the biological activity of VEGF and inhibits tumour angiogenesis. In two pivotal, well designed, phase III, clinical trials (GOG-0218 and ICON7) in women with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, first-line treatment with bevacizumab in combination with standard chemotherapy (carboplatin plus paclitaxel) followed by maintenance treatment with bevacizumab alone significantly prolonged progression-free survival relative to standard chemotherapy. A subgroup analysis of ICON7 suggested that bevacizumab therapy may also be beneficial in patients at high risk of disease progression. In GOG-0218, health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) deteriorated temporarily (during the chemotherapy phase) and slightly, although statistically significantly, with bevacizumab in combination with standard chemotherapy followed by bevacizumab maintenance relative to standard chemotherapy plus placebo maintenance. In ICON7, HR-QOL did not differ to a clinically significant extent between patients receiving bevacizumab plus standard chemotherapy followed by bevacizumab maintenance and those receiving standard chemotherapy alone. Bevacizumab combination therapy had generally acceptable tolerability in these studies, with the nature of adverse events generally similar to that observed in previous clinical trials in patients with other solid tumours.
authors.affiliation: Adis, 41 Centorian Drive, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, North Shore 0754, Auckland, New Zealand. demail@adis.com
authors.forename: Sohita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhillon
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab