Cameron Inquiry is a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador who is somewhat outraged and disgusted at what has transpired in the Health Care System in Newfoundland and Labrador leading up to the revelation of the faulty hormone receptor tests and the impact that this scandal has had on the lives of the breast cancer patients and their families.
Metastatic breast cancer refers to cancer that has spread to distant sites in the body. Traditional chemotherapy has long been the cornerstone of therapy for metastatic breast cancer. However, when combining other treatments with chemotherapy, there may be targeted methods for treating breast cancer. Breast cancer cannot be cured in the majority of patients, and a major goal of therapy is to keep the cancer from progressing while maintaining quality of life of the breast cancer patient.
An anti-VEGF drug, Avastin, developed initial as a colon cancer drug, slows or prevents the growth of new blood vessels by inhibiting a protein known as VEGF. By doing this, Avastin deprives the cancer of oxygen and nutrients. It is also thought that through its effects on blood vessels, Avastin may also improve the delivery of chemotherapy to the cancer, thus increasing the overall effectiveness of chemotherapy on breast cancer cells.
Throughout many clinical trials, Avastin has been shown to improve treatment outcomes in selected patients with advanced colorectal, breast, and non–small cell lung cancer. Other trials have evaluated Avastin among patients with earlier-stage cancer, and among patients with other types of cancer, as anti-VEGF treatments are being explored as viable cancer treatments throughout the world.
In the current current study (RIBBON 1), this study is not the first to suggest that the addition of Avastin to chemotherapy delays cancer progression among women with advanced, HER2-negative breast cancer. This study provides additional evidence that supports the benefits of Avastin when combined with chemotherapy.
The current study enrolled 1,237 women with locally recurrent or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer. These patients had not received prior chemotherapy for their metastatic disease. The study participants were assigned to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus Avastin. The chemotherapy regimens that were used involved taxanes, anthracyclines, or Xeloda. The results of the study were quite evident. Regardless of the chemotherapy regimen used, the addition of Avastin delayed cancer progression.
The results were encouraging indicating additional evidence that the addition of Avastin to chemotherapy delays the time until cancer progression. This is a major advancement in breast cancer treatment for women with metastatic, HER2-negative breast cancer. These patients may wish to discuss the risks and benefits of Avastin with their physician. Avastin has been linked with an increased risk of blood clots and other potentially serious side effects such as stroke, but the added benefits associated with breast cancer treatment for advanced breast cancer may be worth the additional risk.