title: Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated in clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of KRAS status on response to bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate the overall clinical response to such a therapy in clinical practice and assess the role of KRAS status on therapy response.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study enrolling 108 metastatic colorectal cancer patients. KRAS mutation analysis was performed by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 41.7% of patients had stable disease, 39.8% a partial response, 3.7% a complete response and 14.8% disease progression. Both clinical benefit and objective response rate tended to be higher in patients with only hepatic metastases than those with extrahepatic or multiple metastases. Response to therapy would appear to be independent of KRAS status, but larger studies are needed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy provides clinical benefit and objective response rate in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer independently of KRAS expression, especially in those patients with only liver metastases.
authors.affiliation: Oncology, S. M. Goretti Hospital, Latina, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. dr.rossi@ymail.com
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veltri
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zoratto
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colonna
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Seri
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mottolese
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannarelli
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruco
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romiti
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barucca
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adua
authors.forename: Silverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C117307:KRAS protein, human; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000077146:Irinotecan; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin