Bevacizumab in the Management of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The treatment of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains a challenge. The introduction of paclitaxel and carboplatin significantly increased median survival; however, long-term survival has not improved. Angiogenesis, defined as the formation of new blood vessels from a preexisting vascular bed, is an essential process that regulates cancer growth and dissemination. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important and best-studied proangiogenic factors. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against VEGF, has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and is proving to be of clinical benefit in a variety of tumor types, usually when combined with chemotherapy. Several clinical trials have evaluated the activity of bevacizumab in recurrent EOC. These studies clearly show that bevacizumab has encouraging activity, even when used as a single agent, in this disease. The duration and timing of bevacizumab's use is currently the focus of several ongoing clinical trials.