title: Bevacizumab as secondline treatment of glioblastoma -  worth the effort?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of bevacizumab and irinotecan as secondline treatment of glioblastoma in patients with progression after radiotherapy and temozolomide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 16 subjects was performed with overall survival and toxicity evaluation as the primary endpoint.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed serious toxicity of this highly expensive regimen without proving an improvement in overall survival of patients in comparison to a control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unless there are robust data from phase III clinical trials, including quality of life assessments or evaluation of predictive bio-markers to guide therapy, bevacizumab and irinotecan regimen should be spared for cautiously selected patients, especially in countries with limited budget for oncological treatment.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Rovere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077204:Temozolomide; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000077146:Irinotecan; D003606:Dacarbazine; D002166:Camptothecin; D000077204:Temozolomide