Use of Bevacizumab for neurological complications during initial treatment of malignant gliomas.

INTRODUCTION High grade gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumours. Treatment with chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy with Temozolomide may prolong survival but some patients develop complications during or soon after therapy due to radiation necrosis, oedema or tumour progression. PATIENTS We report the use of Bevacizumab in four patients with newly diagnosed high grade gliomas who developed cerebral oedema due to tumour progression or radiation necrosis that did not respond to corticosteroids, and who were not candidates for surgical debulking. OUTCOMES All four patients had a rapid response to treatment with bevacizumab, tolerating a decrease of the dose of corticosteroids, and were able to continue their standard therapy. CONCLUSIONS Bevacizumab is effective in controlling some of the neurological complications from oedema, radiation necrosis, or rapid tumour progression during the initial treatment of malignant gliomas.