title: Predictive biomarkers for bevacizumab: are we there yet?
abstract: Therapy targeting VEGF has become the standard of care in several solid malignancies. Early investigations attempting to identify predictive markers for the efficacy of therapy failed to identify any predictive markers that could help oncologists decide who should-and, more importantly, who should not-receive VEGF-targeted therapies. However, interest has been renewed in predictive biomarkers for VEGF-targeted therapies, especially in light of the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew approval for use of bevacizumab, an antibody to VEGF, in patients with metastatic breast cancer. In a recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, investigators identified circulating VEGF and tumor neuropilin-1 expression as potential predictive biomarkers for bevacizumab. From this perspective, we provide a critical evaluation of the use of these markers and the need for validation in prospective clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77230, USA.
authors.forename: Dipen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maru
authors.forename: Alan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Venook
authors.forename: Lee M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D015415:Biomarkers; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab