Bevacizumab for the treatment of glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common adult malignant primary brain tumor that arises from glial precursor cells. Survival in GB is variable ranging from 6 to 20 months notwithstanding current standard of care (SOC) treatment. Therapy has improved, but nonetheless GB is still invariably recurrent and incurable. Treatment options at recurrence include re-operation with or without carmustine (BCNU) wafer implantation (Gliadel), re-irradiation and standard/experimental chemo- or targeted therapy. Recurrent GB radiographic response rates to cytotoxic chemotherapy are less than 10% and median 6-month progression-free survival (PFS6) is 15%. With the recognition of the importance of tumor angiogenesis and the development of targeted therapy based on angiogenic inhibition, two pivotal trials of the VEGF-directed monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab (BEV, Avastin), were conducted in recurrent GB. Based upon the results of these two prospective US trials (median radiographic response rate: 25%; PFS6: 40%), BEV as a single agent was granted accelerated approval in the USA for recurrent GB. This review is a summary of current literature and clinical trials research in the role of BEV for the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent GB and potential future use of anti-angiogenic therapies in the management of GB.

Keywords::

• anti-angiogenesis
• bevacizumab
• glioblastoma
• high-grade glioma
• MGMT
• VEGF

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.