Bevacizumab

Bevacizumab (Avastin^®) is a monoclonal antibody that works to prevent the growth of certain types of blood vessels in order to starve cancerous cells of required nutrients. It is indicated for the first- or second-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC), in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. In combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin, bevacizumab is also indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your team of cancer specialists will work side by side with you to determine if bevacizumab is the right treatment option. As part of our whole-patient approach to cancer treatment, an individualized plan will be developed to treat your MCRC or NSCLC. All treatment options, including bevacizumab, will be discussed with you in detail to ensure you are well informed and comfortable with all decisions made regarding your treatment.

Discover our unique approach to cancer treatment. Chat with an Oncology Information Specialist to learn how we will fight your cancer on all fronts, and find out if CTCA is the right facility for you.

Patients undergoing bevacizumab treatment have experienced the following rare, but serious side effects:

• Gastrointestinal perforation (holes in the colon requiring surgery to repair)
• Impaired wound healing
• Severe bleeding leading to stroke and, in rare cases, death (particularly in lung cancer patients)
• Heart failure in certain patients (those given or receiving other anticancer treatments that may injure the heart muscle)
• Kidney damage

Other more common, less serious side effects associated with bevacizumab treatment include the following:

• High blood pressure
• Decreased white blood cells
• Thrombophlebitis (clot in the vein)
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Mouth sores
• Fatigue

Side effects experienced with bevacizumab treatment will vary among patients. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your oncologist will detail the expectations and side effects associated with bevacizumab, as well as all other treatment options.

Bevacizumab is used to treat metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum. Used in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, bevacizumab works by cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients required for tumors to grow. Labeled as an antiangiogenic agent, bevacizumab may help to starve the tumor by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein responsible for angiogenesis (blood cell creation by tumor).

Bevacizumab is also used in the first-line treatment of unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Bevacizumab treatment is used in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel. As with treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, bevacizumab works to treat NSCLC by blocking the process of angiogenesis in order to prevent growth of the tumor.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we work to fight cancer on all fronts. Learn more about whole-person cancer treatment and our state-of-the-art hospitals by calling an Oncology Information Specialist today at 800-615-3055.