Avastin Shows Promise For Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 11 Oct 2010 - 9:00 PDT


Further evidence that Avastin improved progression free survival in women with ovarian cancer was presented by researchers at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress in Milan, Italy. A new Phase III Avastin (ICON7) trial showed again that women with chemotherapy-naïve ovarian cancer had better progression free survival compared to women only on chemotherapy. A chemotherapy-naïve patient is one who has never received chemotherapy.

ICON7 is the second Phase III clinical trial on Avastin for ovarian cancer treatment. It compared chemotherapy-naïve women on Avastin plus chemotherapy versus similar patients on just chemotherapy. PFS (progression free survival) was approximately 27% better among those in the Avastin group; this corresponded to a 21% drop in the chances of cancer progression to death, the investigators explained.

GOG0218, the first Phase III pivotal Avastin trial, had demonstrated earlier this year that Avastin plus chemotherapy and then alone gave ovarian cancer patients a 54% higher chance of progression free survival compared to women on chemotherapy alone.

The Avastin dosage was smaller in the ICON7 trial, which also lasted less time.

The COG218 trial, with its 3-arm design, allowed for longer usage of Avastin. The trial showed that there was improved outcome in this setting.

The currently immature survival data on the two studies appear to favor the patients who were on Avastin.

Roche, the creators and makers of Avastin, inform that ovarian cancer is the 8th leading cause of cancer death among adult females globally, and the six most common form of cancer in women. Although the surgical removal of the tumor is the basis for treating this type of cancer, in the majority of cases it is not enough - the cancer comes back later on and often spreads, resulting in the need for chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, current standard chemotherapies do not prevent a significant number of cancer recurrences.

The two trials involved over 2,300 women. Roche believes Avastin has a potential front-line role in ovarian cancer treatment (first line after surgery).

Avastin was approved in 2004 in the USA for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. It is approved in Europe and the USA for advanced stages of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, and kidney cancer.

Source: Roche

Written by Christian Nordqvist


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