Worried About Avastin

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Frenchie
Frenchie Member Posts: 37
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Hello Everyone

My wife (Andrea) is on the clinical trial.  She's done with chemo/rads, but has 7 more months of Avastin.

When we found out she was chosen to receive the drug, we were over the moon.  But evidence that's come to light since has us very worried:

  • Mice injected with TN cells saw tumor shrinkage at first. But then the cancer came back far more aggressively.
  • The FDA approval of Avastin for Advanced Breast Cancer was very controversial to say the least.  As it increases Progression free - not Overall survival, there wasn't the usual required unanimous vote by the board.  More concerning, is that this would seem to support the mice experiment that when the cancer returns, it comes back more aggressively
  • Recent trial results over many years in early stage Colon cancer has just been released.  Avastin serves no benefit.
So we're seriously considering asking our Onc if Andrea can come off the trial now.  This would allow her to have follow up surgery sooner (removal of other breast, reconstruction and hysterectomy). 

We could then possibly look at other preventative treatment such as Carboplatin (owing to some limited evidence that TN Cancer is sensitive to Platinum based agents).  Or perhaps one of the other Inhibitors which are going well (PARP perhaps - if we can get the funding).

Does anyone else feel like this about Avastin, or am I missing some key argument for sticking with it? Confused

As always - very grateful for your thoughts.

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  • FloridaLady
    FloridaLady Member Posts: 2,155
    edited June 2009

    I think it is just to early to tell with Avastin. I know oncologist had big hopes for this drug.  I think he still does but not how we are using right now.  He feels we should be taking a break from it and than use it again after a few months.

    Flalady

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  • wayover20
    wayover20 Member Posts: 445
    edited June 2009

    Hello Frenchie and your wife is lucky to have you taking an active part of her treatment!  Flalady (if I may say so)  has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience regarding current treatments for trip neg patients so alot of us follow her posts daily.  What she says about Avastin is what I've been reading also, that's it's too soon to be able to say with any certainty what it's efficacy with breast cancer is. 

    My oncologist who I consider to be on the cutting edge of bc treatment and protocol put me on it when my bc progressed, along with abraxane and there has been considerable shrinkage of a rather large mediastinal mass and so far almost total resolution of abdominal skin mets.  Of course I had radiation before the abraxane/avastin was started but it looks like the rads began the shrinkage and the A/A has continued the process, so I'm a happy camper so far. 

    When I first questioned her about avastin she said it was still pretty new in the treatment of bc but is showing promise and if she didn't see results quickly she wouldn't hesitate to change out to something else.  But remember mine was a chest mass that was compromising my breathing so I had nothing to lose by trying it.  Now I'm off oxygen totally.

    About the possibly aggressive return of the cancer....mine came back after 6 months of adriamycin/taxol/cytoxan and was 7x5 CM when it was found.  That's pretty agressive.  So sorry I can't speak to recurrance after avastin since I believe in my synical way that all of this is such a "crapshoot" anyway.

    Good luck to your wife and you as she goes thru this journey, come back and read alot, post often and we'll get thru this together.

    Pat

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  • TenderIsOurMight
    TenderIsOurMight Member Posts: 4,493
    edited June 2009

    I thought you might be interested in the following finding on use of Avastin in Glioblastoma:

    Bevacizumab Improves Progression-Free Survival for Glioblastoma Multiforme
    Elsevier Global Medical News, 2009 May 31, K Wachter
    The addition of bevacizumab to temozolomide and RT, followed by combo treatment with bevacizumab, temozolomide, and irinotecan, resulted in PFS of just over 1 year.

    I think until the results are in of the Avastin and Breast Cancer trial, it would be premature to dismiss any potential benefit from Avastin. It's regretful no benefit was found in colorectal cancer based on the study design, yet good news Avastin is beneficial in one of the most difficult brain cancers. 

    Use your own best judgement and then try to find peace with it. I will keep your wife and you in my thoughts.

    Tender

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  • sftfemme65
    sftfemme65 Member Posts: 790
    edited June 2009

    I am so sorry to hear that they have decided that no benefit was found in colorectal cancer.  Im glad my mom's oncologist didn't know this.  She was diagnosed with rectal cancer.  It was stage IV, inoperable and it had spread everywhere.  The doctors gave her...my mom who was only 58 years old....maybe 2 months.  The doctor decided to give her Avastin....it wasn't a cure but it did give us 3 years.  We went to NYC and had a beautiful week.  She saw another grandchild and great grandchild born.  We had 2 more Christmas's and honestly every minute of those 3 years were cherished, probably because we knew eventually it would end.  I dont mean to go on and on but I cant help but think that there definitely was a benefit, at least for my family.

    Teresa

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  • Frenchie
    Frenchie Member Posts: 37
    edited June 2009

    Thanks so much for your replies ladies. Smile

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  • MicheleS
    MicheleS Member Posts: 937
    edited June 2009

    I'm getting Avastin off-trial as adjuvant therapy and I have many of the same questions you do.  As so many have stated, I don't think that the data is in yet.  I've been getting it since Feb every other week and am scheduled to continue receiving it every 3 weeks once I'm done with taxol until next Feb.  I'm interested in seeing what others think about this!

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  • Alicia70598
    Alicia70598 Member Posts: 191
    edited June 2009

    I did adjuvant Avastin over a period of 20 weeks as part of a clinical trial this past year. I'm wondering if the oncology community is still as confident about its potential for early-stage breast cancer in light of the trials that just failed for early-stage colon cancer. In those trials, Avastin was determined to have no real effect on recurrence rates after two years, although there was a noticeable difference after one year. I don't know what the implicatoins are for breast cancer, but in the colon cancer study, they were saying that Avastin might have to be given for longer than the year in the trial to be effective. However, it has too many risks to take long-term if you don't desperately need it, like Stage 4 patients.

    Here's a link to an article about the colon cancer study. It's from OncologySTAT, which is a terrific free Web site for oncologists, with the latest news and research.

    I hope this helps. Good luck

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  • Alicia70598
    Alicia70598 Member Posts: 191
    edited June 2009
    Here's an interesting article about Avastin in Forbes.
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