Critical appraisal of bevacizumab in the treatment of ovarian cancer

open access 

Conclusion

This article provides the latest evidence and predicted further developments in BV treatment for ovarian cancer. BV is the first molecular targeting agent to be indicated for gynecological cancers, and, based on the specific tumor characteristics of ovarian cancer, BV could be potentially much more effective for ovarian cancer than for other cancer types. As a result of the four clinical trials described above, in the treatment of both primary and recurrent cancers, BV is believed to prolong the disease control of ovarian cancer and is a very promising agent.^15,31 Although adverse events of BV contained events not commonly observed with cytotoxic agents used to treat ovarian cancer, these events can be adequately managed with careful attention to severe adverse events such as gastrointestinal tract perforation. Furthermore, in recurrent ovarian cancer patients who present with various difficult-to-treat abdominal symptoms, BV effectively improves QOL with regard to abdominal symptoms, which is a very important clinical finding. However, the improvement in QOL should be confirmed in the future through a placebo-controlled trial. Although BV is effective for ovarian cancer, currently BV treatment has not prolonged OS for either primary or recurrent cancer, and we believe that, given the high cost associated with the treatment,³² patients who receive BV treatment should be carefully selected. Therefore, the establishment of biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of BV will be an important factor in determining the importance of BV in the future treatment of ovarian cancer.