Bevakizumab

Brand Names

Avastin

What is Bevakizumab

Bevacizumab is a medication that blocks angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. In most cases it is used for treating different types of cancers, including colorectal, lung, breast, kidney and glioblastomas. Bevacizumab is one of the newer, targeted therapies. Bevacizumab acts by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels around a tumor. This medicine interferes with tumor growth by triggering blood vessels to shrink away from a tumor.

Side effects of Bevakizumab

Bevacizumab can cause the following side effects:

• any wound that will not heal
• severe stomach pain with fever, vomiting and constipation
• blood in your urine or stools, vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds
• easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin, or any bleeding that will not stop
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat
• sudden numbness or weakness, severe headache, confusion, or problems with vision, speech, or balance
• pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs
• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling
• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure)
• puffy eyes, swelling in your stomach, arms or legs
• rapid weight gain, urinating less than usual or not at all
• urine that looks foamy
• pain or burning when you urinate, loss of bladder or bowel control
• ongoing vaginal discharge, itching or other irritation
• missed menstrual periods

The warning signals may also be:

• mild headache
• back pain
• diarrhea, loss of appetite
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat
• dry or watery eyes
• dry or flaky skin, hair loss
• changes in your sense of taste
• jaw pain, swelling, numbness, loose teeth, gum infection

Indication

Bevacizumab is beneficial when treating a certain type of brain tumor and certain types of cancers of the kidney, lung, colon and rectum. Commonly it is given as part of a combination of cancer medications. Bevacizumab is a prescription medicine that belongs to a group of medications known as monoclonal antibodies.

It is effective in the treatment of the following cancers:

• non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer
• colorectal cancer
• breast cancer
• glioblastoma brain cancer
• renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer)

Precautions

You should not use bevacizumab if have:

• untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure
• severe or uncontrolled bleeding
• an open skin wound
• an open surgical incision
• if you have had surgery within the past 4 weeks (28 days)
• if you have recently been coughing up blood
• if you plan to have surgery within the next 4 weeks (28 days)

It is also important to discuss the safeness of this medicine with your doctor if you have:

• a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder
• a history of stomach or intestinal bleeding
• a history of perforation (a hole or tear) in your esophagus, stomach or intestines
• heart disease, congestive heart failure
• high blood pressure
• a history of heart attack, stroke or blood clots

Dosage forms

The treatment plan and dose should be determined by your doctor. The standard dose of this medicine is 5 mg in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.