Research
A study released in April 2009, found that bevacizumab is not effective at preventing recurrences of non-metastatic colon cancer following surgery.Bevacizumab has been tested in ovarian cancer where it has shown improvement in progression-free survival but not in overall survival. and glioblastoma multiforme where it failed to improve overall survival.Bevacizumab has been investigated as a possible treatment of pancreatic cancer, as an addition to chemotherapy, but studies have shown no improvement in survival. It may also cause higher rates of high blood pressure, bleeding in the stomach and intestine, and intestinal perforations.The drug has also undergone trials as an addition to established chemotherapy protocols and surgery in the treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma, and other sarcomas, such as leiomyosarcoma.Bevacizumab has been studied as a treatment for cancers that grow from the nerve connecting the ear and the brain. References
Further reading
Berenson A (15 February 2006). "A Cancer Drug Shows Promise, at a Price That Many Cant Pay". The New York Times. Sachdev JC, Jahanzeb M (October 2008). "Evolution of bevacizumab-based therapy in the management of breast cancer". Clinical Breast Cancer. 8 (5): 402–10. doi:10.3816/CBC.2008.n.048. PMID 18952553. External links
"Bevacizumab". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Bevacizumab". National Cancer Institute. 5 October 2006. "Bevacizumab". NCI Drug Dictionary.
While the authors caution that longer follow-up will be required before a definitive conclusion can be reached regarding long-term toxicity, they point out that ongoing technical improvements should further restrict radiation exposure in healthy tissues. They do recommend that comprehensive information on potential side effects is given to women who receive this treatment. The addition of radiation therapy to lumpectomy appears to reduce the risk of local recurrence to approximately 12%, of which approximately half will be DCIS and half will be invasive breast cancer; the risk of recurrence is 1% for women undergoing mastectomy. Mastectomy
There is no evidence that mastectomy decreases the risk of death over a lumpectomy. Mastectomy; however, may decrease the rate of the DCIS or invasive cancer occurring in the same location.Mastectomies remain a common recommendation in those with persistent microscopic involvement of margins after local excision or with a diagnosis of DCIS and evidence of suspicious, diffuse microcalcifications. Sentinel node biopsy
Some institutions that have encountered high rates of recurrent invasive cancers after mastectomy for DCIS have endorsed routine sentinel node biopsy (SNB). However, research indicates that sentinel node biopsy has risks that outweigh the benefits for most women with DCIS. SNB should be considered with tissue diagnosis of high risk DCIS (grade III with palpable mass or larger size on imaging) as well as in people undergoing mastectomy after a core or excisional biopsy diagnosis of DCIS. Prognosis
With treatment, the prognosis is excellent, with greater than 97% long-term survival.