For cancer patients, including those with recurrent ovarian cancer, an important cause of morbidity is malignant ascites. Researchers here evaluated the activity of intraperitoneal injections of low-dose bevacizumab in delaying re-accumulation of malignant ascites in women with chemotherapy-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (CR-EOC) who have ceased chemotherapy. IP-bev 5 mg/kg was administered to 24 women with CR-EOC and malignant ascites that reaccumulated within 28 days of their last paracentesis (P-1), after their first therapeutic paracentesis on study (P0). At each subsequent paracentesis (P1, P2, etc), they allowed additional doses of IP-bev provided the interval from the last dose was 42 days or greater (median time from first to second therapeutic ascitic drainage). Based on outcomes, they suggest intraperitoneal bevacizumab as safe and active, and support its further evaluation as a palliative intervention for recurrent ascites in CR-EOC patients receiving best supportive care.
This article was published by MDLinx.