What Is the Benefit of Bevacizumab Combined with Chemotherapy in Patients with Recurrent Ovarian, Fallopian Tube or Primary Peritoneal Malignancies?

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of the monoclonal anti vascular endothelial growth factor antibody bevacizumab (Avastin^®) combined with chemotherapeutic agents in non-protocol patients with recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal malignancies. Using our data-bases, we identified patients treated with bevacizumab combination therapy since June2005. Responses were evaluated with Response evaluation Criteria in Solid tumorsand serum CA125 Rustin criteria. Toxicity was assessed according to the Commontoxicity Criteria (CTC) v.3.0. Data from 64 patients were included. The median patient age was 58 years, and they had undergone a median of 4.5 (range, 1-10) prior cyto-toxic chemotherapy regimens. The median length of follow-up was 8 months (range, 2-29). The most commonly used combinations were bevacizumab plus taxanes (26.6%) and plus cyclophosphamide (26.6%). A median of 4 cycles of therapy with a medianbevacizumab dose of 3,600 mg (range, 500-18,240) were administered. An overallresponse rate of 21.3% was observed in 13 patients with partial response, and an-other 42.6% of patients had stable disease. Among the patients with elevated pre-treatment serum CA125 concentration, an overall response rate of 46.3% (25/54) was observed according to modification of the Rustin criteria. Fifteen (23.4%) patients had grades 3 or 4 adverse events. Gastrointestinal perforations occurred in 2 (3.1%) patients. Seventeen (26.6%) patients had improved performance status scores. Beva-cizumab combined with chemotherapy showed promising clinical benefits, with significant response of serum CA125 concentration and moderate adverse effects.

Keywords:

• Bevacizumab
• ovarian cancer
• fallopian tube cancer
• peritoneal cancer
• chemotherapy