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News
Bevacizumab Combination Promising Against Ovarian Cancer
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 16 - Antiangiogenic therapy with
bevacizumab in combination with frequent low-dose (metronomic) oral
cyclophosphamide appears to be highly effective in women who have had
ovarian cancer recurrence, researchers report in the January 1st issue
of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
"We are very excited with the results of our study," lead investigator Dr.
Agustin A. Garcia told Reuters Health. "We believe that the combination
of bevacizumab and metronomic cyclophosphamide is a very active
treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer."
Dr. Garcia of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and
colleagues note that the aim of the metronomic approach is to limit
toxicity. They studied 70 women with measurable disease who had
previously received platinum-containing treatment.
They were treated with bevacizumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks
and with oral cyclophosphamide 50 mg per day.
At 6 months, the probability of being alive and progression free was
56%, and a partial response was achieved in 17 patients (24%). Median
time to progression was 7.2 months and median survival was 16.9 months.
Hypertension, fatigue and pain were the most common side effects. There
were three treatment-related deaths, two in patients who developed
pulmonary hypertension and the other in a patient with obstruction and
gastrointestinal perforation.
The researchers point out that although vascular endothelial growth
factor plays an important part in the biology of ovarian cancer, levels
of the agent were not associated with outcome.
"Our results support the concept that metronomic chemotherapy has
clinical activity, but less toxicity than chemotherapy administered at
conventional doses," Dr. Garcia said.
Given these encouraging findings, the researchers conclude that
"further study of this combination is warranted."
J Clin Oncol 2008;26:76-82.
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