V Agarwal, R Prasad and M Butt

Department of Oncology, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, UK.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide and even with current advances in chemotherapy the outcome is disappointing. The advances in molecular biology have enabled us to identify various targets for anticancer treatments. The VEGF-VEGFR signalling pathway plays a significant role in tumor angiogenesis and has been a major target for the development of various anticancer drugs. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, which binds to VEGF and has shown efficacy in various tumors. Bevacizumab has been licensed in first line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with chemotherapy. We are reviewing the evidence of the benefit and toxicity of Bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy and other targeted agents in advanced NSCLC.