DRUGS / SYSTEMIC THERAPIES 1. Avastin Not Effective in Treatment of Early Stage Colon Cancer

Adding Avastin (bevacizumab) to chemotherapy for early stage colon cancer didn’t reduce the risk that cancer would return. In fact, preliminary results of the AVANT trial found that chemotherapy alone worked better in preventing recurrences of stage III and high-risk stage II colon cancer, according to a news release from Roche, who were the sponsors of the international clinical trial. This is the second trial in which adding Avastin to chemotherapy after surgery for early stage colon cancer failed to show a disease-free survival benefit. The C-08 trial found that, although Avastin did improve disease-free survival during the first year of treatment, the benefit had disappeared by the third year. The results of the AVANT trial have been eagerly awaited since conclusions of the similar C-08 trial were announced in 2009. After their surgery was over, the Phase III AVANT study randomly assigned 3,451 patients with stage III or high-risk stage II colon cancer to one of three arms: