PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Phase II trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in locally advanced cervical cancer 'promising'

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Garth Sundem
garth.sundem@ucdenver.edu
University of Colorado Denver
Phase II trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in locally advanced cervical cancer 'promising'

An article published in the January issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics reports results of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) phase II clinical trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in addition to cisplatin and pelvic radiation for locally advanced cervical cancer. The group reports that the addition of Bevacizumab to the existing standard of care was safe and showed promising overall results. The 2- and 3- year overall survival rates were 89.8 percent and 80.2 percent, respectively.

"Cervical cancer is a huge problem worldwide, but isn't as big a problem in the United States. So in many ways it tends to become a somewhat overlooked and under-studied disease," says Tracey Schefter, MD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, director of the Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the study's lead author.

Risk factors for cervical cancer include infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). Screening dramatically reduces both the likelihood of developing cervical cancer and the disease's mortality rate. Combined, these two factors mean that 80 percent of the world's approximately 473,000 yearly cases of cervical cancer occur in the developing world. In the United States, cervical cancer rates have dropped 74 percent over the previous 50 years, but is still diagnosed in approximately 10,000 women per year, with 3,500 deaths due to the disease.

The current phase II clinical trial enrolled 49 eligible patients from 28 institutions in the years 2006-2009. The study previously reported that Bevacizumab was safe and well-tolerated in combination with cisplatin and radiation therapy in this population. Now the group reports on the secondary efficacy endpoints at a median follow-up time of 3.8 years.

Specifically the group evaluated the addition of 10mg/kg bevacizumab every two weeks for 3 cycles during chemoradiation. The overall survival and locoregional control results were favorable in comparison to historical controls of chemoradiation without bevacizumab and warrant further study in a phase III trial.

"Parenthetically, when we were designing this trial, one thing we discussed at length was whether to include a maintenance phase of bevacizumab after chemoradiation. Because of perceived issues with patient compliance at the time, we decided not to add to the overall duration of treatment by adding maintenance Bevacizumab. Based on the recent results of GOG 240 which showed an overall survival benefit when Bevacizumab was added to first line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic disease, a trial addressing the benefit of both concurrent and maintenance bevacizumab for locoregionally advanced cervical cancer will likely need to be done," Schefter says.



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Finding pleasure in productive activities the key to boosting self-control

2014-01-16
Finding pleasure in productive activities the key to boosting self-control TORONTO, ON — After a long, tiring day many of us simply give in to the urge to grab a favourite unhealthy snack and avoid tackling obligatory tasks. But we don't have to. A new study from ...

Global warming's biggest offenders

2014-01-16
Global warming's biggest offenders The US and China are among the 7 countries most accountable for the world's temperature increase, according to a new Concordia study This news release is available in French. Montreal, January 15, 2014 — When ...

BMC alleviates alarm fatigue by decreasing noise

2014-01-16
BMC alleviates alarm fatigue by decreasing noise (Boston) – Boston Medical Center (BMC) successfully reduced audible alarms as a way to combat alarm fatigue and improve patient safety. The hospital, one of two in the country that spearheaded this ...

Popular blood type diet debunked

2014-01-16
Popular blood type diet debunked Researchers from the University of Toronto (U of T) have found that the theory behind the popular blood type diet--which claims an individual's nutritional needs vary by blood type--is not valid. The findings are published this ...

Geosphere examines volcanic zones, the Sierra Nevada, and Utah's Confusion Range

2014-01-16
Geosphere examines volcanic zones, the Sierra Nevada, and Utah's Confusion Range Boulder, Colo., USA – New Geosphere papers posted online 14 Jan. cover the San Joaquin Basin in California, the Catalan Volcanic Zone in Spain, the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand, the Confusion ...

Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention

2014-01-16
Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention The brain appears to synchronize the activity of different brain regions to make it possible for a person to pay attention or concentrate on a task, scientists at Washington University School of ...

Food processors beware: Salmonella biofilms incredibly resistant to powerful disinfectants

2014-01-16
Food processors beware: Salmonella biofilms incredibly resistant to powerful disinfectants Once Salmonella bacteria get into a food processing facility and have an opportunity to form a biofilm on surfaces, it is likely to be extraordinarily difficult, if not ...

When a doctor's visit is a guilt trip

2014-01-16
When a doctor's visit is a guilt trip UC San Diego study examines patient reactions to physician-inspired guilt and shame Have you ever left a doctor's office feeling ashamed or guilty? Chances are one in two that you answered "yes," according to research ...

Does taking multiple medicines increase your risk of being admitted to hospital?

2014-01-16
Does taking multiple medicines increase your risk of being admitted to hospital? Patients with a single illness who take many drugs have an increased risk of being admitted to hospital, but for patients with multiple conditions, taking many medicines is now associated with ...

How much does it cost to have a baby in a hospital?

2014-01-16
How much does it cost to have a baby in a hospital? UCSF study examines charges for uncomplicated deliveries Women giving birth in California can face a huge cost difference in their hospital bills, according to a new UC San Francisco ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Global analysis shows hidden damage from men’s alcohol use

DRI recognizes Ashley Cornish as the 2025 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences

Unlocking the blueprint for a powerful plant-based drug

Bringing modern science to vitamin biology: Isha Jain wins NIH Transformative Research Award

University of Houston scientists learn that rare bacterium ‘plays dead’ to survive

Introduced animals change how island plants spread, new global study finds

Mayo Clinic researchers discover ‘traffic controller’ protein that protects DNA, and may help kill cancer cells

Protein sidekick exhibits dual roles in stress granule assembly and disassembly

New hope for MS

Kennesaw State professor receives grant to study cancer origins

Pain and antidepressant drug combo linked to increased seizure risk in older adults

Cancer researchers shape new strategies for immunotherapy

Physical exercise can ‘train’ the immune system

Calm red brocket deer can learn to "Come" and other commands - but the flightiest, most restless individuals struggle

China, the world's largest tea producer, is predicted to experience increases in land suitable for tea-growing under climate change, with the overall range shifting northwards, per AI modeling study

Composing crews for Mars missions

Early humans butchered elephants using small tools and made big tools from their bones

1,000-year-old gut microbiome revealed for young man who lived in pre-Hispanic Mexico

Bears and pandas in captivity develop significantly different gut microbiomes compared to their wild counterparts, and giant pandas in particular have less diverse microbiomes than their wild counterp

Prenatal and postnatal support apps might not work

Dancing dust devils trace raging winds on Mars

Raging winds on Mars

Real-time biopsies uncover hidden response to glioblastoma therapy

Repeated brain tumor sampling uncovers treatment response in patients with glioblastoma

Novel immunotherapy combination destroys colorectal liver metastases

Farmed totoaba could curb poaching

Avalanches: user-carried safety device increases survival time fivefold

It’s all in your head: Select neurons in the brainstem may hold the key to treating chronic pain

Time-restricted eating can boost athletes' health and performance

Burning issue: study finds fire a friend to some bees, a foe to others

[Press-News.org] Phase II trial of Bevacizumab (Avastin) in locally advanced cervical cancer 'promising'