在化疗的同时使用阿瓦斯汀Avastin（bevacizumab，rhuMAb-VEGF） 能大大改善先前没有治疗过的转移乳腺癌患者的病情无发展的存活。在此之前，已经观察到阿瓦斯汀Avastin对晚期直肠结肠癌患者有着存活期方面的好处，另外最近还宣布了阿瓦斯汀Avastin用于治疗局部晚期或转移性非小细胞肺癌的资料。 罗氏制药集团（Roche）和基因技术公司（Genentech, Inc.）宣布. 有8％至9％的妇女在其一生中会患乳腺癌，因此乳腺癌是妇女最常罹患的癌症类型之一。世界各地每年都有超过100万新的乳腺癌新病例被确诊，每年约有41万人死于这种疾病 。
阿瓦斯汀Avastin是一种抗血管生成的药物，它通过阻断对于肿瘤的生长至关重要的血液供应来发挥作用。第三阶段试验研究了结合paclitaxel化疗使用阿瓦斯汀Avastin 来治疗那些先前不曾治疗过她们的转移癌症（一线）的患者的情况。进行试验的试验小组告知这两家公司，对试验所作的初步分析显示，它达到了与单独化疗相比使病情无发展的存活――即癌症处于稳定状态的时间长度――得到改善这个首要药效端点。
The two currently available monoclonal antibodies being used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, ImClone's Erbitux and Genentech's Avastin, operate very differently from one another with very different side-effects when halting progress of the disease once it has begun its spread throughout the body. And Erbitux is decidedly less onerous a treatment, making the Priority Review announcement from FDA especially important to potentially millions of cancer sufferers worldwide each year.Erbitux slows cancer growth by targeting a protein found on the surface of some cells called the epidermal growth factor receptor while Avastin shuts down the process whereby tumors grow new blood vessels to help them receive the nutrients they need to survive and grow. But, only Avastin is currently approved by the FDA. Patients who received Avastin plus chemotherapy drugs (IFL) had an overall response rate of 39%, while the Erbitux studies showed a response rate of 21% without any chemotherapy drugs. Besides not having to go through chemo, the side effects of Erbitux are less alarming that Avastin. Erbitux has side effect like skin problems, fatigue and weakness, constipation and fever. However, Avastin, while it also has some more common and milder side effects such as those listed above, the treatment can also produce holes in the colon requiring surgical repair, heart failure, kidney damage, and the decreased ability to heal wounds.(read more)