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  • Home > Blog > Treatment News > Avastin May Not be Effective for Breast Cancer, But is Still an Option for Mesothelioma
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2010

Avastin May Not be Effective for Breast Cancer, But is Still an Option for Mesothelioma

In a rare move, the United States Food and Drug Administration may remove their approval for the use of Avastin in the treatment of breast cancer.  A 13 member panel of experts reviewed follow-up data on how patients have done on the drug and concluded that the benefits of the drug do not outweigh the risks.  The use of Avastin for other cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), will not be affected.  Avastin, with the drug name bevacizumab, is currently under evaluation in patients with previously untreated mesothelioma in a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center phase II trial.

Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments, although it has been treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.

Avastin was the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – approved biological therapy designed to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels to tumors, slowing the growth and spread of the tumors.  Studies have shown that VEGF, an autocrine growth factor released by mesothelioma cells, causes new blood vessels to form.  VEGF levels are shown to be higher in mesothelioma patients suggesting that VEGF may be a proper target for Avastin as a mesothelioma treatment.

In 2008, FDA granted “accelerated approval” to Avastin to treat breast cancers that had spread to other parts of the body. Even though the FDA may not support the use of the drug for breast cancer, it is possible that oncologists will continue to prescribe the drug as an off-label use.  In that case, patients run the risk that their insurance company will not pick up the tab for the therapy.

The FDA is expected to make a decision on Avastin’s use for breast cancer by the middle of September.