Quick Facts About: Bevacizumab

Avastin®

Yes, in 2004.

Bevacizumab is used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (cancer that has spread to other organs in the body).

Bevacizumab is also used to treat non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and glioblastoma.

*All dosages indicated here are specific to colorectal cancer treatment.

Bevacizumab is administered intravenously.

Dosage is dependent on drug combination in the treatment regimen and is based on the patient’s weight (milligram per kilogram, mg/kg).

Adult patients may be administered 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg once every two weeks, or 7.5 mg/kg or 15 mg/kg once every three weeks.

The dosage is delivered via an intravenous infusion over 90 minutes on the first dose, and subsequent doses are administered over 60 to 30 minutes based on the patient’s tolerability.

Special precaution should be taken for patients with the following conditions before administering treatment:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Gastrointestinal perforation
• Gallbladder perforation
• Metastatic cancer to the central nervous system
• History of thromboembolism
• Risk of thrombocytopenia

If any major surgery has been performed, bevacizumab should not be administered for at least 28 days, or until the surgical wound is fully healed.

Patients who are pregnant, lactating, or aged above 65 should also be cautioned on the use of bevacizumab.

Possible side effects of bevacizumab that the patient may experience include:

• High blood pressure
• Numbness or tingling in hands or feet (referred to as peripheral neuropathy)
• An increased risk of bruising, bleeding and infection
• Feeling weak, lethargic, and fatigued
• Diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and constipation
• Blood in stool
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Fever
• Eye problems including teary eyes
• Vocal changes or hoarseness
• Taste bud changes
• Nose bleed or a runny nose
• Skin problems such as rash, dry skin or itching
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headaches
• Slurred speech
• Cough or shortness of breath
• Mouth ulcers

For a full list of potential symptoms, click here.

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody.

Bevacizumab works by inhibiting angiogenesis — the process of new blood vessel formation that is necessary for tumor growth and metastasis.

Tumors secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to stimulate angiogenesis, which promotes the growth of new blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to the tumor.

Bevacizumab binds to VEGF and prevents its interaction with VEGF receptors on endothelial cells, inhibiting the signaling pathways that promote angiogenesis. As a result, the tumor is starved of its blood supply, leading to tumor shrinkage and cell death.

In addition to its anti-angiogenic effects, Bevacizumab has also been shown to enhance the delivery of chemotherapy to tumors by normalizing tumor vasculature, improving blood flow, and reducing interstitial fluid pressure, which can improve drug penetration into the tumor.