Novel medication improves ovarian cancer...( Newport Beach Calif. October 31 200...),Health

Newport Beach, Calif. October 31, 2007 A new study appearing in International Journal of Gynecological Cancer states that Bevacizumab, a biologic anti-cancer agent that prevents tumor growth by interfering with the formation of new blood vessels, may have the potential to improve the efficacy of standard combination chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women, accounting for nearly 14,000 deaths annually in the United States. Despite the use of chemotherapy treatment, nearly 70 percent of all ovarian cancer patients will eventually succumb to their disease. Consequently, studies have continued to investigate the activity of novel medications in combination with standard therapy to improve overall and disease-free survival in ovarian cancer patients.

Bevacizumab has been studied clinically and was recently approved as a treatment for metastatic colon cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Currently, Bevacizumab is also being studied as a treatment to improve patient survival rates for breast and kidney cancers. Since Bevacizumab has a unique mechanism of action and a favorable safety profile, the medication is not associated with unreasonable levels of toxicity. However, previous studies have reported that gastro-intestinal perforations and hypertension may be a consequence of treatment involving Bevacizumab. The results from our research suggest that the combination of Bevacizumab and standard therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer may be promising, particularly with regard to safety and efficacy, says Dr. Bram Goldstein, co-author of the study.

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