Avastin Improves Survival in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients

Genentech’s Avastin in combination with chemotherapy significantly prolongs progression-free survival for women with breast cancer compared with chemotherapy alone, according to a study published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The Rush University Medical Center participated in the trial, which was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by a network of researchers led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

The study of 722 women with recurrent breast cancer found that those on Avastin (bevacizumab) had progression-free survival of 11.3 months compared with six months on standard chemotherapy alone, according to the medical center.

The center participated in the Phase I through Phase III trials of the drug. The drug will be studied in the adjuvant setting to determine if it can help decrease the risk of cancer recurrence.