Introduction: Fundamental research identified new therapy targets implicated in tumor proliferation and angiogenesis which lead to the development of several targeted therapies. Currently, three drugs are used in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, cetuximab and panitumumab, two anti epidermal growth factor receptor, and bevacizumab, an anti vascular endothelial growth factor.
Patients and methods: We evaluated a treatment with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (Folfox7 regimen) and bevacizumab in patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic colorectal cancer. Objectives of the study are the evaluation of the efficacy, toxicity, progression free survival, overall survival and tumor cell expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor by immunochemistry.
Results: 47 patients are included in the study during the period between April 2005 and June 2007; 28 men and 19 women. After six cycles of treatment, we achieved 67.3% of objectives responses and 76% of tumor control. The median progression free survival evaluated was 12 months (9.3-14.6 months) and median overall survival 18 months (9-26.9 months). The immunochemistry study of 46 tumours of the study achieved the following results: 13% (0), 17.4% (1+), 23.9% (2+) and 45.7% (3+). A correlation between the vascular endothelial growth factor expression, therapeutic responses and survival has been demonstrated but the difference was not significant in term of survival. Both chemotherapy toxicity and bevacizumab related toxicity are acceptable in our study.
Conclusion: The fact that vascular endothelial growth factor expression is common in more than 80% of colorectal cancers, lead to recommend the systematic use of bevacizumab with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.