sjwaldron Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Has anyone had any experience with Bevacizumab? I have read for a while, this is my first post. You have all helped a lot. My mom is 56 year old ex-smoker and has Stage IV NSCLC adeno with brain mets....just finished WBR @ dana farber, thinking about clinical trial with BEVACIZUMAB. any info would be much appreciated. Thanks, Jenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 No Experience but you should get lots of input from many others who have used AVASTIN this is the more common name for it..Prayers and thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Jenn, many of us have used Avastin (bevacizumab). I was on it for a year -- 4 months in combination with Taxol and Carboplatin, 8 months Avastin alone. My only side effect was slow healing throughout the body, which is to be expected because of the way the drug works. Some people have also experienced headaches and elevated blood pressure. Initially, Avastin was not approved for people with brain mets, squamous cell cancers, and a few other conditions because of possible bleeding risk. Now that more data has been accumulated, it's believed that it is relatively safe for certain people in those categories, and that's the purpose of some ongoing clinical trials. Here's an excellent article on the subject: http://onctalk.com/2006/10/15/where-do- ... h-avastin/ Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Jenn- I, too, was on Avastin in combination with Carbo/Taxol and then on Avastin alone for 7 months. Avastin did cause me to have high BP but it is now controlled with meds. Avastin is a walk in the park compared to other chemos as far as side effects are concerned!! There can be bleeding problems, so some people cannot be on it. Am wondering what kind of trial it is?? I thought Avastin was commonly used in lung cancer nowadays. It is in conjunction with another chemo?? Wishing your mom good luck - please keep us posted. Hugs - Patti B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 There are currnetly almosta 100 Trials using avastin in conjunction with other treatments for Lung cancer http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?t ... ung+Cancer To See all of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Bump Avastin info anyone! Come on I know we are out there on this one! I never used it but I know quite a few who have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwaldron Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Thank you so much for the information. It was helpful. My mom has decided to do the trial, and i am very excited. I will post her story for you all soon. Thank you again for your guidance and support. Jenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 From your description, I would assume that it's in trial status because of the brain mets. That's one of the remaining questions about Avastin (see Ned's post above). I'm on Avastin in combination with Alimta right now. The main side effect appears to be nosebleeds. Good luck to your mom!--Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb73 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Jenn, My husband has been on Avastin (the other name for bevacizumab) and he has had success so far. His tumors/nodules have been shrinking. (Yippeee) Now, as to brain mets, I know that the chemo does not cross the blood brain barrier, but there were, initially, doubts about using it with mets to the brain. However, I went to the site, OncTalk, and the information there from Dr. West, was very illuminating and useful. Everything changes so fast in this venue that it is always best to do the research and then, make the informed decision. Our oncologist OK'd Bill for the Avastin after his met to the brain was in the treated and shrinking down position. I wish you much in the way of success. I was very anxious when Bill went on this regimen, but am now comfortable with it. My overall assessment of Avastin is that we need to gather as much information as possible, and then, make an informed decision. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminkw Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Jenn: I had Avastin with Carboplatin and Taxol for 6 infusions, and now have had two Avastin only maintenance infusions--all every three weeks. Although I didn't have the brain mets, I had a followup scan and my Stage IIIB adenocarcinoma is in remission. Although it's difficult to know what did what, I think Avastin is worth looking at particularly in combo with other chemos. I was real skeptical about the Avastin maintenance because of the high blood pressure. That's now under control and three out of three doctors I see seem really optomistic about Avastin so I have to think you and your husband have made a good choice. Judy in Key West Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 My dad who at diagnosis had stage IV NSCLC w/ brain mets was in a phase II clinical trial for chemo+avastin, looking at the efficacy of chemo+avastin in NSCLC patients with treated brain mets. As Ned pointed out above, avastin has not yet been approved for NSCLC patients with brain mets. Because of the increased risk of bleeding and clotting issues with avastin, the thought is that brain bleeding as a result of untreated brain mets could result in aneurisms and the like. Even though its a clinical trial, in the last five years Avastin is one of the most imprtant cancer drugs to come to market and has a proven medical benefit in advanced NSCLC generally. Unfortunately for my dad (and us), the cancer progressed pretty quickly despite this (and all other) treatment, but he didn't have any brain bleeding related issues that came out of his avastin use (besides one scary nose bleed event). For first line treatmenet, avastin/chemo is the current state of the art. And because your mom has treated brain mets, chemo/avastin is beyond the current state of the art. It's the best you can do. Good luck, keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I have been on Avastin off and on for the last 2 1/2 years. I initially had it for 1 year - every three weeks while taking Tarceva orally. The mets I had to my bone disappeared immediately with this combo. I recently had a reoccurence in another area of my spine and am back on Avastin every 3 weeks with Tarceva and the combo has been widdling away at the cancer. Keep us posted on how your mom does. Wendy - 4+ yr survivor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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