In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 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. In June of 2006, the FDA decided that Avastin can also be used as a second-line treatment for colon cancer.
A second-line treatment is like a do-over.
If the first treatment idea doesn't work for a patient, doctors can try using Avastin in combination with chemotherapy drugs collectively referred to as FOLFOX4. This change came about because research showed that as a second-line treatment, FOLFOX4 plus Avastin resulted in about a 33% better chance of survival than FOLFOX4 alone.Related Research:
- FOLFOX4 Drug Combo Proven Effective
- Adding Avastin May Add Years to Your Life
- FOLFOX4 Plus Avastin: Worth a Try?
- Avastin Approved in EU and Switzerland
- Avastin Warning
- FDA Approval of Avastin as a Colorectal Cancer Treatment
- FDA Approves Avastin in Combination With Chemotherapy for Second-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients. Yahoo: Finance. 20 Jun. 2006. 21 Jun. 2006 [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060620/sftu136.html?.v=40].
- Gandey, Allison. FDA Expands Label for Bevacizumab (Avastin). Medscape Medical News. 21 Jun. 2006. 28 Jun. 2006 [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/537152?src=mp].
