Open AccessUtility of bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A veterans affairs experience
Author(s) -
Wattenberg Max M.,
Damjanov Nevena,
Kaplan David E.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
cancer medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 2045-7634
DOI - 10.1002/cam4.2015
Subject(s) - bevacizumab , medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , sorafenib , adverse effect , oncology , malignancy , combination therapy , carcinoma , gastroenterology , surgery , chemotherapy
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging to treat malignancy with few available systemic therapies. Angiogenesis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC and prior studies have suggested a role for anti‐ VEGF therapy. Prior to FDA approval of second‐line therapy for advanced HCC , from 2008 until 2017, we initiated bevacizumab monotherapy (5‐10 mg/kg every 2‐3 weeks) in 12 patients with intolerance of or progression during sorafenib therapy. Bevacizumab therapy was well tolerated with only 1/12 patients experiencing a grade 3‐4 treatment‐related adverse event (transient ischemic attack) and only 2/12 patients discontinued the therapy due to adverse events. Median overall survival was 20.2 months ( IQR , 7.0‐43.5), with a median time to radiologic progression of 10.4 months ( IQR , 2.8‐16.1) and a disease control rate of 54%. Taken together, our experience provides rationale for further prospective investigation of bevacizumab for the treatment of advanced HCC .