Maximizing the Potential of Bevacizumab in Cancer Treatment

Learning Objectives After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Identify the major side effects of bevacizumab treatment. Describe the drug combinations, doses, and sequencing options that have been investigated to date and discuss further studies that are needed to fully define optimal therapy. Explain the challenges to using biological surrogates as outcome measures. Access and take the CME test online and receive one hour of AMA PRA category 1 credit atCME.TheOncologist.com Promising results have been obtained with bevacizumab (AvestinTM; Genentech, Inc.; South San Francisco, CA) in clinical trials in patients with a range of solid tumors; however, to maximize the potential of this agent, further research is needed to clarify a number of important issues. These include the optimization of bevacizumab dosage and schedule of administration, the potential value of this agent in combination with other treatment modalities like chemotherapy and radiation, the management of toxicities, and the selection of patients most likely to benefit from treatment. Intriguing results from two recent phase III trials highlight the need for a better understanding of the best ways to incorporate bevacizumab into clinical practice. Ultimately, maximizing the potential value of this agent may require a more thorough understanding of bevacizumab's mechanism of action and the pathways mediating resistance.