Treatment FAQ

avastin what line treatment ovarian cancer

by Ivory Mante Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Avastin is used with chemotherapy to treat 2 different types of recurrent ovarian cancer: platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant. Avastin, in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin or topotecan, is approved to treat platinum-resistant recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer (prOC) in women who received no more than two prior chemotherapy treatments.

Avastin ® (bevacizumab), in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Avastin alone, is used for the treatment of patients with advanced (Stage III or IV) epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer following initial surgery.

Full Answer

How long can I take Avastin for ovarian cancer?

You usually have bevacizumab (Avastin) every 2 to 3 weeks. Treatment usually continues for as long as it controls your cancer. You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.

Does Avastin cure cancer?

Avastin is a man-made antibody (IgG1) that is used to help treat multiple cancers, including, cervical, colon, kidney, lung, ovarian and rectal cancer. It can also treat certain cancers found in the fallopian tube or the lining of the abdominal wall, as well as certain brain tumors.

How does Avastin work differently from chemotherapy?

Tumor with Avastin and chemotherapy

  • GI perforation. A hole that develops in your stomach or intestine. ...
  • Abnormal passage in the body. ...
  • Wounds that don't heal. ...
  • Serious bleeding. ...
  • Severe high blood pressure. ...
  • Kidney problems. ...
  • Infusion-related reactions. ...
  • Severe stroke or heart problems. ...
  • Nervous system and vision problems. ...

When to stop chemotherapy for ovarian cancer?

When you’ve finished chemotherapy, you will have check-ups every three months, and then every six months if you’re still cancer free. If you are cancer free after ten years (or five years for early stage ovarian cancer), you’ll be considered to be in remission from ovarian cancer and you’ll no longer need regular check-ups.

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What is second line treatment for ovarian cancer?

Re-induction treatment with a platinum-based combination therapy with paclitaxel or gemcitabine is now considered to be the standard second-line treatment for patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

What is first line treatment for ovarian cancer?

Intensive surgical staging and cytoreduction, followed by primary chemotherapy are considered the gold standard of treatment in the first-line setting of advanced ovarian cancer. To date, the standard first-line chemotherapy consists of a taxane (paclitaxel 175 mg/m2) with the addition of carboplatin (AUC > 5).

What is the treatment of choice for clients with ovarian cancer?

Treatment for ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery: Doctors remove cancer tissue in an operation. Chemotherapy: Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.

What is the best treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer?

The main treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer is anti cancer drug treatment (chemotherapy). You also might have surgery or targeted cancer drugs....This is sometimes with another chemotherapy drug, such as:paclitaxel.liposomal.doxorubicin (Caelyx, Myocet or Doxil)gemcitabine.

What is the latest treatment for ovarian cancer?

In June 2018, the FDA approved one of these drugs, bevacizumab (Avastin), for women with advanced ovarian cancer. PARP Inhibitors. Cancer cells survive and thrive because they can repair their own DNA when damage occurs. Drugs called PARP inhibitors make it harder for cancer cells to fix themselves.

When was Avastin used for ovarian cancer?

FDA approves bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. On June 13, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech, Inc.)

What is the best treatment for ovarian cancer stage 3?

Doctors usually class stage 3 ovarian cancer as advanced ovarian cancer. This means the cancer has spread away from the ovary. The main treatments are surgery and chemotherapy. Treatment can cure some advanced cancers.

Where is the best treatment center for ovarian cancer?

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

What are the two most common chemotherapy to treat ovarian cancer called?

Doctors most commonly use the chemotherapy drug carboplatin to treat ovarian cancer. You might have it on its own or with another chemotherapy drug called paclitaxel (Taxol). Your doctor might use other types of chemotherapy drugs if your cancer has come back.

Can you survive recurrent ovarian cancer?

Data has shown that statistically speaking, recurrent ovarian cancer is treatable, but is rarely completely curable. Your approach to a recurrence will depend on a number of factors, all of which should be discussed with your gynecologic oncologist.

Can recurrent ovarian cancer go into remission?

About 80% of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will go into remission after their initial treatment, but around 60% will then have a recurrence. The goal of maintenance therapy is to delay a cancer recurrence or to reduce the risk of it recurring at all.

Can you live 20 years after ovarian cancer?

They may go on to live for many more years. For all types of ovarian cancer taken together, about 75% of women with ovarian cancer live for at least one year after diagnosis. Around 46% of the women with ovarian cancer can live five years after diagnosis if the cancer is detected in earlier stages.

What is the treatment for stage III ovarian cancer?

Stage III or IV ovarian cancer (OC) after primary surgery#N#Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Avastin as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer following initial surgical resection.

Can you reduce Avastin?

No dose reductions for Avastin are recommended.

Is Avastin a paclitaxel?

Avastin, in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan, is indicated for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who received no more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens. Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, ...

Is Avastin a single agent?

Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, or with carboplatin and gemcitabine, followed by Ava stin as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer .

Does Avastin affect fertility?

Avastin increases the risk of ovarian failure and may impair fertility. Inform females of reproductive potential of the risk of ovarian failure prior to the first dose of Avastin. Patients should also use effective contraception during treatment and for 6 months following the last dose of Avastin.

How often do you get Avastin for ovarian cancer?

When do I receive Avastin for advanced (stage III or IV) ovarian cancer? For women with advanced ovarian cancer, Avastin is given every 3 weeks. Avastin can be scheduled on the same day you get your carboplatin and paclitaxel (chemotherapy).

When do I receive Avastin for platinum-sensitive cancer?

For women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, Avastin is given every 3 weeks. Avastin can be scheduled on the same day you get your chemotherapy.

How long do my Avastin infusions take?

You always get the same dose of Avastin. If your Avastin infusions are tolerated, they can take as little as 30 minutes.

Can you stop Avastin infusions?

Because Avastin is given as an infusion, infusion-related reactions may occur. Avastin infusions will be stopped by your doctor or nurse if infusion reactions are severe .

Is Avastin a monoclonal antibody?

Be vacizumab (Avastin®) in cancer treatment: A review of 15 years of clinical experience and future outlook. When the VEGF-A-targeting monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin®) entered clinical practice more than 15 years ago, it was one of the first targeted therapies and the first approved angiogenesis inhibitor.

Is bevacizumab used for lung cancer?

Specifically, the combination of bevacizumab with cancer immunotherapy has recently been approved in non-small-cell lung cancer and clinical benefit was also demonstrated for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Is bevacizumab an angiogenesis inhibitor?

When the VEGF-A-targeting monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin®) entered clinical practice more than 15 years ago, it was one of the first targeted therapies and the first approved angiogenesis inhibitor. Marking the beginning for a new line of anti-cancer treatments, bevacizumab remains the most extensively characterized anti-angiogenetic treatment. Initially approved for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy, its indications now include metastatic breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. This review provides an overview of the clinical experience and lessons learned since bevacizumab's initial approval, and highlights how this knowledge has led to the investigation of novel combination therapies. In the past 15 years, our understanding of VEGF's role in the tumor microenvironment has evolved. We now know that VEGF not only plays a major role in controlling blood vessel formation, but also modulates tumor-induced immunosuppression. These immunomodulatory properties of bevacizumab have opened up new perspectives for combination therapy approaches, which are being investigated in clinical trials. Specifically, the combination of bevacizumab with cancer immunotherapy has recently been approved in non-small-cell lung cancer and clinical benefit was also demonstrated for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, despite intense investigation, reliable and validated biomarkers that would enable a more personalized use of bevacizumab remain elusive. Overall, bevacizumab is expected to remain a key agent in cancer therapy, both due to its established efficacy in approved indications and its promise as a partner in novel targeted combination treatments.

What is the role of angiogenesis in ovarian cancer?

Angiogenesis seems to play a major role in the natural history of ovarian cancer, promoting tumor growth and progression in the form of ascites formation and metastatic spread [Byrne et al. 2003; Hollingsworth et al. 1995; Shen et al. 2000]. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and is indicated in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and glioblastoma multiforme [Escudier et al. 2007; Friedman et al. 2009; Hurwitz et al. 2004; Sandler et al. 2006]. This antibody binds to and neutralizes all biologically active forms of VEGF-A, and then suppresses tumor growth and inhibits metastatic disease progression [Lin et al. 1999]. The utility of VEGF antibodies in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma was initially explored in animal models, where VEGF blockade was shown to inhibit ascites formation and slow tumor growth [Byrne et al. 2003]. In addition, VEGF-targeting agents are thought to enhance the effects of chemotherapy by normalization of primitive tumor vasculature, leading to decreased interstitial fluid pressure, increased tumor oxygenation, and enhanced delivery of cytotoxic drugs [Jain, 2005].

How many people died from ovarian cancer in 2012?

In the year 2012, there will be an estimated 22,280 new cases and 15,500 deaths in the US alone [Siegel et al. 2012]. Primary peritoneal cancer and fallopian tube cancer are managed similarly to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). EOC is highly curable when it is confined to the ovaries, with up to 90% expected 5-year survival. However, EOC is rarely diagnosed at an early stage because the disease causes few specific symptoms when it is localized to the ovary. More than 70% of women with EOC present with advanced stage III or IV disease, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality [Heintz et al. 2006].

What is the treatment for advanced stage cancer?

Current management of advanced stage disease includes surgical tumor debulking, followed by adjuvant platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy [McGuire et al. 1996; Piccart et al. 2000]. An approach to improve the outcome of treatment in EOC has focused on modifying the dose, schedule, or route of administration of chemotherapy. The use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy has been reported to improve outcomes although with increase toxicity [Alberts et al. 1996; Armstrong et al. 2006; Markman et al. 2001]. For various reasons the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy has not been uniformly adopted despite the positive results of these three randomized trials [Rowan, 2009]. More recently, it was reported that the administration of intravenous (IV) paclitaxel on a weekly schedule improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) [Katsumata et al. 2009]. Another approach consisted of incorporating different cytotoxic agents in sequential doublet and triplet combinations (unfortunately, no combination demonstrated an improvement in OS) [Bookman, 2009]. Another recently described approach is the administration of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting, before surgical resection in contrast to conventional postoperative chemotherapy [Vergote et al. 2010]. Although this approach is associated with a higher frequency of optimal cytoreduction and lower postoperative adverse events, it did not translate into improvements in OS. Nonetheless, this is now a valid approach that is being used more frequently. Therefore, despite more than 10 years of research the combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel remains the standard chemotherapy regimen in advanced ovarian cancer. However, OS for patients with advanced ovarian cancer is poor and the 5-year survival remains at only 27% [Siegel et al. 2012].

Is bevacizumab a frontline treatment?

The results of these two studies (Table 2) led to the approval by the European Commission of bevacizumab in combination with standard chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) as a front-line treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer. However, it is important to note that no improvement in OS has been reported in these two studies. In addition, two independent cost-effective analyses report that with no improvement in OS the use of bevacizumab as part of front-line therapy in ovarian cancer is not cost effective [Cohn et al. 2011; Lesnock et al. 2011].

Does bevacizumab suppress tumor growth?

A somewhat different approach was to combine bevacizumab with low-dose metronomic oral cyclophosphamide. Metronomic chemotherapy (MC) was first shown to suppress tumor growth in experimental models, possibly by inhibiting angiogenesis through the release of thrombospondin [Hanahan et al. 2000]. This schedule of administration of chemotherapy is devoid of the typical toxicities associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy (alopecia, myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting, etc.). The combined use of MC of antiangiogenic therapies demonstrates marked inhibition of tumor growth in experimental models [Bello et al. 2001; Hashimoto et al. 2010; Klement et al. 2000; Merritt et al. 2010]. In this study (NCI-5789) 70 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer were treated with bevacizumab and oral cyclophosphamide administered at a dose of 50 mg/day [Garcia et al. 2008]. Up to three prior lines of therapy were allowed and 40% of patients had platinum-resistant disease. An overall response rate of 24% was reported with an additional 62% of patients achieving stable disease. At 6 months there was a PFS of 56% with a median time to progression of 7.2 months. This regimen was associated with a toxicity profile similar to that seen with single-agent bevacizumab in this patient population including two cases (3%) of grade 4 cerebral ischemia and four episodes (6%) of GIP or fistula. However, grade 3 or 4 cytotoxic chemotherapy-associated toxicities were not observed. Other authors have confirmed the activity and favorable toxicity profile of this regimen [Sanchez-Muñoz et al. 2010].

Is bevacizumab safe for ovarian cancer?

Several authors have evaluated the safety and activity of bevacizumab in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy agents typically used in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: topotecan, PLD, and weekly paclitaxel [Kudoh et al. 2011; McGonigle et al. 2011; O’Malley et al. 2011]. As summarized in Table 1, these studies show that the combination is safe and active and suggest bevacizumab may enhance the efficacy of the cytotoxic agent.

Is bevacizumab a single agent?

Two single-agent phase II trials have explored the utility of bevacizumab in the treatment of persistent or recurrent disease: The first and largest single-agent study was conducted by the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) and termed GOG-0170D. In this trial 62 women with persistent or recurrent EOC or primary peritoneal cancer received bevacizumab monotherapy (15 mg/kg IV) repeated every three weeks. The study allowed up to two prior lines of chemotherapy and 58% of patients had platinum-resistant disease. Encouraging activity was reported as evidenced by an overall response rate of 21% and median PFS and OS of 4.7 and 17 months, respectively. In addition, 40% of patients remained progression-free at 6 months. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events thought to be related to bevacizumab included hypertension (9.7%, n= 6), thromboembolism (1.6%, n= 2, one pulmonary embolism, no arterial emboli), gastrointestinal (GI) events (6.4%, n= 4, no perforations or fistulas), proteinuria (n= 1), and hypersensitivity reactions (3.2%, n= 2) [Burger et al. 2007].

Is bevacizumab a first line treatment for ovarian cancer?

Bevacizumab combined with platinum-taxane chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced ovarian cancer: a prospective observational study of safety and efficacy in Japanese patients (JGOG3022 trial) Combining bevacizumab with chemotherapy was tolerable and efficacy was acceptable in Japanese patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. ...

Does bevacizumab help with cancer?

Bevacizumab seems to reduce platinum-resistant recurrence and is promising for clear cell carcinoma. Combining bevacizumab with chemotherapy was tolerable and efficacy was acceptable in Japanese patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

What is the treatment for ovarian cancer?

Standard first-line treatment of advanced HGS carcinoma includes cytoreductive surgery plus intravenous paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy. Despite excellent responses to initial treatment, the majority of patients develop recurrent disease within 3 years. The introduction of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor, bevacizumab, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors into first-line management has changed the outlook for this lethal disease. In this review, we summarise the most recent clinical trials that determine current primary therapy of advanced HGS carcinoma and the ongoing trials that aim to change management in the future.

How many women have ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer is the 8th commonest cancer diagnosed in women and the 8th commonest cause of female cancer-related death worldwide [1]. Approximately 300,000 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018 [1]; the majority being diagnosed with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage III/IV disease [2, 3]. Ovarian cancer originates from the epithelial cells (ovarian surface/distal fallopian tube epithelium) in around 90% of cases, with the histological subtype high-grade serous (HGS) accounting for 70% of cases [4]. Standard first-line treatment of advanced HGS carcinoma involves cytoreductive (debulking) surgery with paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy [5, 6]. Despite excellent initial treatment responses in around 70% of women, the majority of patients develop recurrent disease within 3 years of their primary therapy [7].

How long is bevacizumab used for?

Following the results of ICON7 and GOG 218, bevacizumab was recommended for use in the first-line management of patients with advanced stage EOC, to be used alongside chemotherapy and continued for 15 (12 in the UK) months as maintenance therapy [5, 6]. It remains unclear if additional cycles of bevacizumab can extend PFS further, and so the results of the BOOST trial ({"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01462890","term_id":"NCT01462890"}}NCT01462890) are eagerly awaited; comparing 15 versus 30 cycle in the first-line setting.

What is the first line of chemotherapy for EOC?

Standard first-line chemotherapy for EOC includes 3-weekly platinum and 3-weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy [5, 6]. In the United Kingdom (UK), guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also currently recommends to offer single-agent platinum-based chemotherapy as an alternative to combination regimens [22]. Dose-dense regimens involve weekly administration of chemotherapy. Indeed, preclinical data showed that metronomic scheduling of docetaxel or paclitaxel was effective [23], and early phase trial data supported the evaluation of dose-dense taxanes within randomised phase III trials [24–27]. Four randomised phase III trials have been reported investigating dose-dense first-line therapies (Table ​(Table1)1) [28–31].

Which anti-angiogenic agents have improved PFS?

Other anti-angiogenic agents, including nintedanib [53] and pazopanib [54] also showed improved PFS in the first-line setting as maintenance therapies, although these orally administered small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors demonstrated an increased incidence of diarrhoea and haematological toxicities.

Is neoadjuvant chemotherapy effective?

Recent phase III clinical trials have shown that delayed primary surgery after completing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is non-inferior to immediate primary surgery, but could provide a survival benefit in FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage IV disease. The use of weekly intravenous chemotherapy regimens has not been proven to be more effective than standard 3-weekly regimens in Western patient populations, and the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy remains controversial in the first-line setting. In contrast, newer systemic anti-cancer therapies targeting angiogenesis and/or HR-deficient tumours have been successfully incorporated into front-line therapeutic regimens to treat HGS carcinoma. Recent results from randomised trials investigating the use of PARP inhibitors as monotherapy and in combination with the anti-angiogenic agent, bevacizumab, have demonstrated highly impressive efficacy when combined with traditional first-line multi-modality therapy.

Is HGS carcinoma still being managed?

Management of HGS carcinoma is evolving, but further work is still required to optimise and integrate tumour and plasma biomarkers to exploit the potential of these highly efficacious targeted agents.

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