Has Bevacizumab (Avastin) Given Extra Therapeutic Gain in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer and Malignant Brain Gliomas? Systematic Review Answering this Question

Georgios      V. Koukourakis

Abstract

During the last decade, the development of new drugs known as targeted therapies was the result of a better understanding of the processes involved in the transformation of normal cells into cancer. The term targeted therapy refers to drugs that selectively target specific molecular pathways involved in tumourigenesis or tumour progression. Angiogenesis is important for tumour growth and metastasis and is an important target for new biological agents. Bevacizumab is a humanised recombinant antibody that prevents vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor binding, and inhibits angiogenesis and tumour growth. On February 26, 2004, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Bevacizumab as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The integration of targeted therapies in the treatment of colon cancer has resulted in significant improvements in efficacy outcomes. Bevacizumab was the first antiangiogenic therapy approved for use in cancer and received accelerated FDA approval for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiform in 2009. The efficacy of Bevacizumab in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and recurrent glioblastoma multiform is presented in this review article. The structural characteristics and selectivity profiles of this antiangiogenic drug and those disclosed in related patent applications are also summarised in this article.

Keywords: bevacizumab, Malignant Brain Gliomas, Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, tumourigenesis, antiangiogenic therapy, angiogenesis, glioblastoma multiforme, colorectal cancer, monotherapy, VEGF, Avastin, brain gliomas, metastasis