Malignant mesothelioma, which can be caused by exposure to asbestos, often has a poor prognosis. Now, data from a phase III randomized controlled trial show that the addition of the anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab to the existing standard-of-care chemotherapy regimen significantly improves overall survival. Of note, however, treatment with bevacizumab did increase the risks of grade 3 or higher hypertension and thrombotic events compared with standard-of-care regimens.
References
Zalcman, G. et al. Bevacizumab for newly diagnosed pleural mesothelioma in the Mesothelioma Avastin Cisplatin Pemetrexed Study (MAPS): a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01238-6
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Sidaway, P. Bevacizumab is effective against mesothelioma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 13, 134 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.5