Cancer Treatment Reviews
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 75-82, February 2010

Bevacizumab in the treatment of breast cancer

  • Angelos K. Koutras

      Affiliations

    • Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, Rion 26504, Greece
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +30 2610999535; fax: +30 2610994645.
    • ,
  • George Fountzilas

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • Tel.: +30 2310693134.
    • ,
  • Thomas Makatsoris

      Affiliations

    • Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, Rion 26504, Greece
    • Tel.: +30 2610999535; fax: +30 2610994645.
    • ,
  • Stavros Peroukides

      Affiliations

    • Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, Rion 26504, Greece
    • Tel.: +30 2610999535; fax: +30 2610994645.
    • ,
  • Haralabos P. Kalofonos

      Affiliations

    • Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, Rion 26504, Greece
    • Tel.: +30 2610999535; fax: +30 2610994645.

Received 12 July 2009; received in revised form 25 October 2009; accepted 27 October 2009. published online 23 November 2009.

Summary 

Current evidence indicates that angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several malignancies, including breast cancer. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recent clinical data have demonstrated that the addition of bevacizumab to first-line chemotherapy improves the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced breast cancer. This review presents an update on the clinical studies evaluating the role of bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy, as well as other agents, both in advanced and early disease. Moreover, although no definitive biomarkers have been identified so far, we provide current data regarding potentially useful predictive factors for treatment with bevacizumab. In addition, we review the suggested mechanisms that lead to resistance to VEGF targeted therapies and we present recent data with respect to the toxicity of bevacizumab.

Keywords: Bevacizumab, Breast cancer, Treatment

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PII: S0305-7372(09)00160-1

doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2009.10.007

Cancer Treatment Reviews
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 75-82, February 2010

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