Avastin

Topotecan and Avastin for ovarian cancer – pro

Topotecan is a water-soluble, semisynthetic analogueof camptothecin that inhibits the nuclear enzyme topoisomeraseI. Topotecan has been approved by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) for the treatment of recurrent epithelialovarian cancer and relapsed small cell lung cancer,and has also demonstrated activity in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors including non-small cell lung, cervical, and colon cancers. In ovariancancer, topotecan

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Avastin alone for glioblastoma – pro

Irinotecan and Avastin is a promising new combination for gliolastoma. In late November 2007, Genetech announced preliminary results of its randomized phase II study with two arms, Avastin vs. Irinotecan/Avastin. The latter arm had a higher TTP and response rate. However, when updated at 2008 ASCO, the Avastin arm had survival of 9.2 months in a bevacizumab-alone group versus 8.7 months with irinotecan. The Avastin application to the FDA was based

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Ovarian Cancer/Abraxane – pro

Paclitaxel is one of the most active agents in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma. Novel agents such as abraxane are solvent free and currently being evaluated to potentially avoid certain patient side effects. Abraxane is an albumin-stabilised nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel designed to overcome various insolubility problems encountered with paclitaxel. This nano-technology eliminates the need for toxic solvents like cremophor, which limits

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Avastin for Ovarian Cancer: Relapsed and refractory – pro

Lay Summary: Avastin appears to add to combination chemotherapies for ovarian cancer. Patients with ovarian cancer that has recurred or progressed following prior therapies, have unfavorable long-term outcomes with standard therapies. Although additional chemotherapy can be used to treat these patients, they often have minimal anti-cancer responses as well as side effects from treatment. Initial study of Avastin focused on this unfavourable group.

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Abraxane and Avastin or Xeloda for breast cancer – pro

Lay Summary: Current thinking is that Abraxane can substitute for paclitaxel with less toxicity in combination with Avastin but information is still coming in. In January 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the chemotherapy drug Abraxane, a new formulation of paclitaxel, for treating advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. The approval is for second-line therapy—after another chemotherapy regimen has been used and has stopped

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Irinotecan and Avastin and/or carboplatinfor GBM – pro

Lay Summary: Irinotecan and Avastin is a promising new combination for gliolastoma. Ongoing trials are expected to move if forward to the standard of care. Avastin alone is still experimental. Glioblastoma is a disease for which there were few options available until recently. The past several years brought several new potentially promising treatments and one, Temodar, has been FDA approved for this indication. One of these promising approaches is

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Avastin for prostate cancer – pro

Lay Summary: A great deal of clinical investigation of Avastin for prostate cancer is ongoing but little is as of yet securely known. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and

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Adjuvant therapy (and Avastin) for stage II colon cancer and OncotypeDx Colon – pro

Lay Summary: Adjuvant chemotherapy for Stage II colon cancer is controversial but the field until recently was moving away from it. A recent study is reporting again that it may be beneficial. Adjuvant chemotherapy for Stage II colon cancer is controversial but the field until recently was moving away from it. A recent study is reporting again that it may be beneficial. Recent guidelines make it optional rather than recommended. Recent guidelines

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First, second and third line chemotherapy for non small cell lung cancer – pro

Lay Summary: Chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is discussed. Palliative chemotherapy for metastatic lung cancer is now standard. Platinum-based combinations were the first regimens to convincingly have an impact on survival and have been the standard of care in NSCLC. A European study showed that gemcitabine/cisplatin was essentiall equivalent to paclitaxel and a platin and the former became standard in Europe whereas the latter is most

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Abraxane and Avastin for lung cancer – pro

Lay Summary: One phase II study suggests high response rates for Abraxane and Avastin in nonsmall lung cancer. The combination of Abraxane (albumin bound paclitaxel) and Paraplatin® (carboplatin) and Avastin (bevacizumab) provides responses or disease stabilization in over 75% of patients with chemotherapy-naïve, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These results were presented at the 2006 annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium. Abraxane

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