Lung and colorectal cancer drug Avastin has been tested for the first time against the most common and deadly form of brain cancer.Duke University researchers used Avastin, known chemically as bevacizumab, in combination with a standard chemotherapy agent in patients with recurrent brain tumors called gliomas. Good news -- the two drugs together stopped tumor growth for twice as long as any other therapy.
Gliomas are mostly incurable in all cases, but this new treatment approach may extend life and may help preserve physical and mental function for a longer period of time for patients fighting this deadly disease.
"These results are exciting because of the possible implications for a patient population that currently has the poorest possible prognosis going into treatment -- those with malignant brain tumors that have recurred after initial treatment," says the lead researcher whose findings appear in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
1. My Father has been getting treatments with Avastin since last August or September. He has a stage 4 glio blastoma, diagnosed October of 05. Treatment was going great no significant growth until March when it raised his blood pressure to high for treatment. That followed with a blood clot, now the risk of bleeding out is too high for him to continue this course of action.
Posted at 7:55AM on Apr 24th 2007 by Erin