title: Bevacizumab as front-line treatment of brain metastases from solid tumors: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the large use of bevabizumab in the treatment of primary tumors of the brain, there is only limited experience with brain metastases (BM) and no experience in the treatment of previously untreated secondary brain lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated patients with BM, not suitable for local treatment, with a bevacizumab-based therapy associated with chemotherapy or interferon-α, as indicated for the primary cancer type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 18 patients with BM mostly from lung and renal adenocarcinoma, and the majority of patients had a treatment-naïve brain disease. Bevacizumab was found to be effective: the response rate was 60% partial responses with 40% disease stabilizations. The progression-free survival was 14 months and the overall survival was 15 months. Moreover, bevacizumab has a high capability of providing a long-lasting clinical benefit and reducing edema.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bevacizumab for treatment of BM is feasible and the efficacy data are very encouraging.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto - IRCCS, via Gattamelata 64, 35127 Padova, Italy. fable.zustovich@ioveneto.it.
authors.forename: Fable
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zustovich
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Vittorina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zagonel
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiduccia
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068258:Bevacizumab
keywords: Brain; bevacizumab; cancer; chemotherapy; interferon-α; kidney; lung; metastasis