In a nutshell
This study compared the effectiveness of the combined treatment with chemotherapy and bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy alone in advanced colorectal cancer. Researchers suggested that the combination therapy improves the treatment of these patients.
Some background
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers causing death in the world. New treatment options and the improvement of current options are needed. Recently, the addition of targeted therapies like bevacizumab (a treatment that block the tumor from growing) to chemotherapy has been showed to improve treatment. However, other studies do not show a significant difference in survival between treatment with this combination or chemotherapy alone.
Methods & findings
This study is a review of other 12 studies including 5888 metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) colorectal cancer patients. All patients were treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone.
Patients who received the combined treatment had a 16% improvement in the odds of a better survival. These patients also showed a 36% improvement in the odds of a better progression-free survival (time from treatment to disease progression).
The bottom line
This study concluded that the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy improves the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.
The fine print
Only studies written in English were included.
Published By :
PLOS ONE
Date :
Aug 31, 2016
