In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Avastin as a treatment for colorectal cancer that had spread to other parts of the body. Avastin was the first drug to be approved that works by choking off a tumor's blood supply.
Avastin prevents the formation of new blood vessels, including those that supply cancer cells with the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive and grow. It isn't a cure for cancer, but the process tends to shrink existing tumors and cause new tumors to grow more slowly.
Research shows that Avastin can prolongs the lives of colorectal cancer patients by about five months when administered via IV every 14 days as a combination treatment along with standard chemotherapy drugs.
According to the manufacturer, serious side effects of Avastin are uncommon and include the following:
- Impaired wound healing
- Internal bleeding which may lead to stroke or death
- Heart failure in susceptible individuals
- Kidney damage
- Gastrointestinal perforation (formation of holes in the colon) that may require surgery to repair
- High blood pressure
- Fatigue
- Blood clots
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Decreased appetite
- Mouth sores
- Fewer white blood cells (greater susceptibility to illness)
- FOLFOX4 Drug Combo Proven Effective
- Adding Avastin May Add Years to Your Life
- FOLFOX4 Plus Avastin: Worth a Try?
- FDA Approval of Avastin as a Second-Line Treatment for Colon Cancer
- Avastin Approved in EU and Switzerland
- Avastin Warning
- Press Release: FDA Approves First Angiogenesis Inhibitor to Treat Colorectal Cancer. FDA. 26 Feb. 2004. 24 Aug. 2006 [http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2004/NEW01027.html].
- First-of-a-Kind Cancer Figher Approved. CNN. 26 Feb. 2006. 24 Aug. 2006 [http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/conditions/02/26/cancer.drug.ap/index.html].
- Questions and Answers on Avastin (Bevacizumab). FDA. 26 Feb. 2004. 24 Aug. 2006 [http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/Avastin/avastinQ&A.htm].
