What Is Avastin?(Bevacizumab) | HealthInfi

Avastin (bevacizumab) is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Avastin is used to treat a certain type of brain tumor, and certain types of cancers of the kidney, lung, colon, rectum, cervix, ovary, or fallopian tube. Avastin is also used to treat cancer of the membrane lining the internal organs in your abdomen. It is usually given as part of a combination of cancer medicines.

Bevacizumab, sold under the trade name Avastin, is medication used to treat a number of types of cancers and a specific eye disease. For cancer it is given by slow injection into a vein and used for colon cancer, lung cancer, glioblastoma, and renal-cell carcinoma. For age-related macular degeneration it is given by injection into the eye.

Common side effects when use for cancer include nose bleeds, headache, high blood pressure, and rash. Other severe side effects include gastrointestinal perforation, bleeding, allergic reactions, blood clots, and an increased risk of infection. When used for eye disease side effects can include vision loss and retinal detachment. Bevacizumab is in the angiogenesis inhibitor and monoclonal antibody families of medication. It works by slowing the growth of new blood vessels.

Important information

Avastin can make it easier for you to bleed. Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if you have any bleeding that will not stop. You may also have bleeding on the inside of your body, such as in your stomach or intestines, or in your brain.

Call your doctor at once if you have: signs of bleeding in your digestive tract – feeling very weak or dizzy, severe stomach pain, black or bloody stools, or if you cough up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds; or signs of bleeding in the brain – sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, or problems with vision or balance.

Avastin can also cause problems with wound healing, which could result in bleeding or infection. Do not use this medicine within 28 days before or after a planned surgery.

Avastin can cause a rare but serious neurologic disorder affecting the brain. Symptoms include headache, confusion, vision problems, feeling very weak or tired, fainting, and seizure (blackout or convulsions). These rare symptoms may occur within hours of your first dose of Avastin, or they may not appear for up to a year after your treatmentstarted. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these side effects.

Some people receiving a Avastin injection have had a reaction to the infusion (when the medicine is injected into the vein). Tell your caregiver right away if you feel dizzy, nauseated, light-headed, sweaty, itchy, or have a fast heartbeat, chills, wheezing, or chest pain during the injection.

Avastin may cause a woman’s ovaries to stop working correctly. Symptoms of ovarian failure include 3 or more missed menstrual periods in a row. This may affect your fertility (ability to have children). Talk to your doctor about your specific risks.

Use in Cancer

Bevacizumab is approved to be used alone or with other drugs to treat:

• Cervical cancer that has not gotten better with other treatment, has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body), or has recurred (come back).
• Colorectal cancer that has metastasized.
• Glioblastoma (a type of brain cancer) in patients whose disease has not gotten better with other treatment.
• Non-small cell lung cancer that is locally advanced, cannot be removed by surgery, has metastasized, or has recurred.
• Ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer that has recurred. It is used in patients whose disease does not respond to platinumchemotherapy.
• Renal cell cancer that has metastasized.Read More