Bevacizumab for refractory solid tumors in pediatric patients. Issue 2 (April 2008)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Benesch, Martin; Urban, Christian
• Is Part Of: Pediatric health. Volume 2:Issue 2(2008)
• Page Start: 147
• Page End: 149
• Publication Date: 2008-04
• Subjects: angiogenesis -- bevacizumab -- children -- refractory solid tumors; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.2217/17455111.2.2.147
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-5111

Abstract

Evaluation of: Bender JL, Adamson PC, Reid JM et al. : Phase I trial and pharmacokinetic study of bevacizumab in pediatric patients with refractory solid tumors: a Children''s Oncology Group study. J. Clin. Oncol. 26, 399––405 (2008). Angiogenesis is important for both tumor growth and development of metastases. Vascular endothelial growth factor is a potent proangiogenic factor. Bevacizumab, a humanized antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor is currently being tested for various malignancies among adult cancer patients, but has not yet been prospectively evaluated in children and young adults with malignant solid tumors. The results of the first Phase I trial of bevacizumab in this population are here presented by Bender et al. Bevacizumab administered at 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg doses every 2 weeks was well tolerated with no major toxicities (i.e., hemorrhage or thrombosis) observed. None of the patients achieved an objective response. Trials assessing combinations of bevacizumab with cytotoxic chemotherapy or other targeted therapies are warranted to further explore the efficacy of this drug in childhood malignancies.