Bevacizumab in the treatment of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is a common disease with therapy that has a proven effectiveness in the adjuvant and metastatic setting. Bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, is an antiangiogenesis monoclonal antibody that has benefit in response rate and overall survival when used in combination with existing metastatic colorectal cancer regimens. It is well tolerated with a few important side effects to be cognizant of, including hypertension, arterial thrombosis and bowel perforation. Existing treatment and research strategies are examining its use in the adjuvant setting or in combination with other angiogenesis inhibitors.