Avastin for pancreatic cancer – pro
The role of Avastin for metastatic pancreatic cancer is not defined1. A recent phase III AVITA (BO17706) trial showed that the addition of Avastin to a combination of Tarceva and chemotherapy failed to prolong the lives of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, but did have some benefits. The study, which included 607 patients, showed that adding Avastin prolonged time to progression and was safe. There ws no survival advantage.
This contrasts with an earlier trial, in which the addition of Avastin had shown no benefit in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In a study of 600 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, those who received Avastin in addition to standard chemotherapy lived for only six months — the same amount of time as those who received chemotherapy alone 3. Currently, NCCN does not recommend this drug for pancreatic cancer. 4
http://www.joplink.net/prev/200807/200807_27.pdf
Nieto, Jacqueline , Grossbard, Michael L. , Kozuch, Peter
Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer 2008: Is the Glass Less Empty?
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