FDA Approves New Use of Avastin for Some Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

If you or a loved one is battling colon cancer, you may be interested in reading about a new option for some Avastin therapy users.

On January 23, 2013, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Avastin, (Genentech U.S., Inc.) for use in combination with fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for people with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) whose disease has progressed.

“The majority of people diagnosed with mCRC receive Avastin plus chemotherapy as their initial treatment,” said Hal Barron, M.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “These people now have the option to continue with Avastin plus a new chemotherapy after their cancer worsens, which may help them live longer than changing to the new chemotherapy alone,” he added.

The FDA approval is based on positive results from the Phase III ML18147 study, which was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting and showed that people who continued to receive an Avastin-based regimen after their cancer worsened lived longer than people who switched to chemotherapy alone. Median overall survival was 11.2 months compared to 9.8 months.

Screening Saves Lives

Think about it. One out of 20 U.S. citizens will experience colon cancer in their lifetime. Last year alone, over 50,000 people died of colon cancer. How can that be when this disease is over 90% curable when detected and treated early? Still, colon cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men and women. People are dying because they are not finding the cancer soon enough. This is due, in part, to the lack awareness about screening and the difficulty that some find in discussing the disease and reporting symptoms. But what can you do? You can help Susie's Cause in their effort to increase awareness, not only about colon cancer, but also about how screening works and how it can save lives.
 
Looking for Information on Treatment Options?

Check our treatment page for a breakdown of information on several colon cancer treatment types.
[Treatment Types]  

Sources:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/InformationOnDrugs/ApprovedDrugs/ucm336763.htm  [FDA]

 http://www.gene.com/media/press-releases/14307/2013-01-23/fda-approves-new-use-of-avastin-plus-che/Genentech   [Genentech: A Member of the Roche Group]

Medical Disclaimer:

The information presented on the Susan Cohan Colon Cancer web site is solely intended to provide you with information that will help educate you on the importance of diet, exercise and regular cancer screening in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Adopting these habits is an individual choice and one that should only be made after consultation with your health care professional. No information provided on this Web site or otherwise is intended to replace or in any way modify the advice of your health care professional.