Avastin

Question: How does the shot of Avastin in eye complication treatment work? 3 days ago , my father was diagnosed with having had bleeding on his right retina as a result of high intraocular pressure about 3 weeks ago. the docs. prescribed him a shot of Avastin in his eye and he had it administered 2 days ago. We are desparately interested to know how does this medication treat his condition and could possibly restore his vision, what is the prognosis?! will this medication help eliminate the blockage of blood vessels on his retina? thank you so much. experts only please.

Answer: AVASTIN is a drug that helps to slow the growth of new blood vessels. Approved by the FDA to treat colon cancer, it is also used to combat age related "wet" macular degeneration, which is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina. The goal of treatment is to prevent further loss of vision. Although some patients have regained vision, the medication may not restore vision that has already been lost, and may not ultimately prevent further loss of vision caused by the disease. After the pupil is dilated and the eye is numbed with anesthesia, the medication is injected into the vitreous, or jelly-like substance in the back chamber of the eye. AVASTIN is administered by an injection into your eye as needed at regular intervals (about every four to six weeks); your ophthalmologist will tell you how often you will receive the injection, and for how long.

Question: can avastin use in a good eye to prevent it from bleeding due to diabetes that damaged the other eye? left eye was operated because of cataract and blood vessel bleeding, but can hardly see now, so the doctor suggested avastin injection to prevent the good eye from possible damage/bleeding because of diabetes, is it alright? thank you

Answer: You can try this chinese medicine website, they can reply people question especially the diabetes problem, maybe is good way http://www.cure-diabetes-cure.com

Question: How long is a treatment plan with the drug Avastin ? My son has a glioblastoma multiforme grade IV and had chemo and radiation. He just started on Avastin injections every two weeks. Just wondered what the time frame for this treatment is. His doctor said as long as he is responding then they will continue to give him the Avastin

Answer: First, my prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. Your doctor would require evidence that treatment is helping particularly after a 2-3 months. This can range from a number of sources including; an improvement in a specific symptom such as pain, a shrinkage of a lump on examination, improvements in a blood test such as the CEA (cancer embryonic antigen) or often evidence from repeat X-rays and scans such as CT or MRI. If there is no palliative benefit by this time treatment should be stopped as it may be doing more harm than good. If there is evidence of response, treatment will continue provided continuing palliative benefit is achieved. The treatment may well continue after the chemotherapy has finished but the precise duration of treatment depends on a close dialogue between yourself and your oncologist as he/she the most aware of your son's prognosis and progress. As mentioned above if there is no palliative or objective benefit, treatment should be stopped as soon as this is known - usually after 2-3 cycles of chemotherapy. If there is a benefit however treatment may continue for as long as there is a response.

Question: Do you know anyone who is currently taking Avastin for cancer? My mom just started taking Avastin for cancer. She had the WORSE week ever as far as muscle ache, pain, weakness and dizziness. She was taking pain killers and was in bed all weekend long. Will her body ever get use to it and not give her such bad symptoms? She can not stop taking this medicine because this medicine is going to help her a lot more than the chemo. This morning she says she woke up fine. I am sure the symptoms she is feeling our side effects to the medicine because I visited the website. Well, her body eventually get use to it?

Answer: While dizziness is a common side effect, I don't believe that muscle pains are. It could be something that will subside with time, but instead of waiting to find out, contact her health care provider and ask about the symptoms she is displaying. While it's probably not, it could be something serious. Always better to stay on the safe side.

Question: If Avastin stops Angiogenesis then why does it sometimes cause high blood pressure or CNS symptoms? Avastin stops tumor growth by blocking Vascular Endothelial Grow Factor receptor so the tumor fails to get a blood supply. In that case how can the drug interfere with blood pressure or cause side effects in the CNS?

Answer: Most likely what is occurring is functional retro-fraction and anatomical retrofraction. Functional retrofraction is the reduced permeability of the capillaries, while anatomical retrofraction is a reduced density of capillaries throughout the body. Capillary are continually formed in our bodies, not just at tumor sites and rebuilding and restorative growth are often needed. Avastin can block these normal processes, and thus there is the same amount of blood, but a smaller area to contain it in. CNS symptoms are not well understood at this time.

Question: Any first hand experience in using AVASTIN for macula degeneration treatment? My mother (81) has advanced macula degeneration and has very little vision left. Her doctor suggested avastin injection as prevention, but i'm a bit skeptical. Please, any comments on this matter much appreciated.

Answer: Your Mom must have the "wet" kind of macular degeneration. Now Avastin was not made for the eye, but for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. And they found it can stop Macular Edema or swelling of the macula. You see abnormal blood vessels start to grown in the macula and sometimes these vessels leak fluid or blood. The Avastin has been shown to stop this and prevent further loss of vision. The Opthalamologist numbs the eye and injects the Avastin into the eye. Also used for treatment of wet macular degeneration is photodynamic therapy and Macugen. Two new treatments. People I have talked to said it, (Avastin) works. I have dry macular degeneration and of course am asking questions of people who have the condition. Mine is only in my left eye so far and I am using prescribed tablets from Bausch and Lomb. When I look at TV with only my left eye, all I see is purple and black, with just the lower corners now visible with that eye. If I thought I could keep what vision I have with my eyes, I would go for the injections. Just my opinion, ask around especially at senior centers and you will get lots of information. I would be interested if your Mom is receiving any drops now.

Question: Why would someone die from taking Avastin? My daughter had a GBM tumor and recently passed away from taking the drug Avastin. Or that's what we were told by the doctors. She went weak on her left side, got very aggressive and eventually couldn't see, swallow or breath. I've been researching Avastin and find it very rare for a person to die from taking it. My question is, why and how could a child die from taking this drug? Her platelets were at 80,000 and she did a 90 minute IV if this is any help.

Answer: all the side effects of avastin are listed here including the ones you have described http://www.avastin.com/avastin/patient/crc/treatment/effects/ sorry to hear of your loss good luck

Question: How effective is Avastin as targetted therapy for the metastatic colorectal cancer? What could be the possible side-effects? I would appreciate personal experiences very much! Thanks! The loved one is none other than my precious mom. She has already had 2 doses of Avastin within a gap of 15 days...on 21st Apr. & 5th May. No serious side-effects so far. But the doctor says to wait till the third dose on 20th May. If she withstands that, things would hopefully perk up.

Answer: Taking Avastin, an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody and anti-angiogenesis drug (almost always in combination with intravenous 5-FU), for metastatic colorectal cancer is NOT exactly like the old Doc's advice: "Take two Aspirins and call me in the morning!" This is a serious medical issue/decision that must be thoroughly discussed with the patient's attending physician/oncologist and other members of the interdisciplinary treatment team. As with any chemotherapy regime the side effects could vary from patient to patient; BUT they are potentially VERY SERIOUS (e.g. gastrointestinal perforation, hemoptysis, severe wound healing complications, etc.) ... One of my most precious friends is currently on it, and I can tell you, it has NOT exactly been a walk in the park for him! :-( :-( You may find the following web sites quite informative (if you haven't seen them already, that is): http://www.avastin.com/avastin/index.jsp?hl=en&q=Avastin http://www.gene.com/gene/products/information/oncology/avastin/ http://www.drugs.com/avastin.html Be well always, and all the best to your "loved one". .

Question: How many deaths have been caused by the chemo drug Avastin? Avastin killed a loved one. I am looking for others that have lost someone to this chemo drug "Avastin", we need to get a class action lawsuit against Genentech who makes this product that can kill, and get the FDA to recall Avastin off the market to cure sick people.

Answer: Not every one responds to chemo. the same way! It is VERY hard on the ENTIRE body. It kills not only bad stuff but the good also. Your body has to have a immune system strong enough to handle it. Alot of times chemo. just speeds up the death process. Your loved one may have just had a body already too weak to handle chemo.(chance you take).Avastin is not on the market to 'cure sick people' necessarily. It is NOT a chemo. drug anyway. It's just a drug to help give a person a fighting chance. It is a antiangiogenic agent. It is supposed to block vessel formation and starve the tumor of its blood supply. It is used in conjunction with chemo. It is most often given for metastatic colorectal cancer or small cell lung carcinoma. Complications most often occur are GI ,wound healing and hemorrhage .You have no way of knowing all the contributing factors relating to this death at this point unless you have a autopsy and it says the drug was directly related to the death. I personally and professionally know this to be true. I don't believe Avastin is the cause of death primarily. It probably just contributed to it.

Question: Has anyone's treatment with Avastin had to be stopped because of severe stomach cramps? If so, how bad were the cramps? How long did they last? Were there any other side effects along with the cramping, like vomiting or diarrhea?

Answer: Depending on which study you look at as many as 25-50% of patients c/o of abdominal pain (which would include cramps). From my perspective, avastin alone is much less likely to cause less abdominal trouble than the drugs usually given with it (such as irinotecan or fluoruracil). Irinotecan can commonly cause diarrhea and cramping. They can be quite bad, but are usually manageable with dose changes, imodium, sometimes antibiotics, etc. You should discuss this with your doctor.

Question: What affect does Avastin have on male fertility? My husband has been on Avastin for 7 months now. He is 24 years old. Does anyone know how Avastin affects fertility? Has anyone/couple had personal experience with becoming pregnant while on Avastin? Did the Avastin affect the baby? If so, how?

Answer: Avastin does not affect your sex drive and you should be able to continue sexual relations. If you are a fertile male or female contraceptive precautions should be taken.

Question: My father is asked to take Avastin injection for retina damage/ nerves block. Is it safe ? Can you please tell me why this is caused? His eye is partially blind. He is taking medication for hypertension. Is hypertension a cause for this ? Or does this happen for a person who is takes alcohol daily ?

Answer: Avastin is an amazingly successful drug for some people with some retinal conditions. You need a more specific diagnosis for us to give you more information, but basically your father should follow his ophthalmologist's advice. There are many types of retinal damage, with different treatments required.

Question: my husband has been taking avastin and now has a very high protein level in his urine. is this normal? My husband has colon cancer and has been treated with surgery and chemo and is now taking avastin but has a very high protein level in his urine and cannot continue. is this a normal reaction and what can we do.

Answer: that is a normal side effect of avastin. well i wouldn't exactly say normal, it happens that is why a urinalysis is usually checked with each chemo treatment. if the protein levels get too high then sometimes the treatment must be discontinued or doses reduced. your physician should have recommendations as to what to do next. hope that helps, by the way, i'm a chemo nurse.

Question: I have a relative with Stage IV colon cancer. Has anyone tried a treatment called Avastin? Did it work? ? Anything can help. Anyone surviving stage four have some advice for a family member or sufferer?

Answer: This should give you some idea of the benefits we are seeing according to one group of patients studied:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles… Efficacy of Avastin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancers - a 82% increase in the time patients live without their disease getting worse (7.4 vs 13.5 months) vs chemotherapy alone - a 57% increase in overall survival (17.6 vs. 27.7 months) vs chemotherapy alone confirming that Avastin is the only biologic with proven survival benefit in this patient group - a significant increase in response rate; 60% compared to 37% in patients receiving chemotherapy alone - a 69% increase in the time patients live without their disease getting worse (5.5 vs 9.4 months) vs chemotherapy alone

Question: Has anyone had Avastin injections for macular degeneration? What results did you have?

Answer: Hi. I just stumbled upon this question with my main account and noticed I had reached my limit of answers for one day and saw that if I waited until tommorow, your question would no longer be available for answering! To give you some background on why I would be eager to answer your question, I work as an RN for five leading retinal surgeons in my state and we currently have the most updated treatments for macular degeneration. Our best and most commonly used treatment is Avastin. With AMD (macular d) you have these abnormal vessels growing in the macular region of the retina. What the Avastin does is removes and helps prevent these vessels from growing and leaking blood and fluid which causes the central vision to darken and distortion around the darkened area. Avastin was initially created for colon cancer as it had similar vascular problems. Avastin is almost never completely successful the first injection. On average a patient will need an injection every two months and I have seen some patients whose abnormal vessels stop growing and breaking for good after two treatments and we have some patients are currently on their 13th injection. The point is those abnormal vessels are stubborn and basically you stop injecting them when they stop growing. Avastin is currently though the ONLY medication on the market that can actually improve their vision, which is a remarkable thing considering the first treatment for macular degeneration was made only ten years ago (called photodynamic therapy) and that treatment can only slow the disease down and hardly ever improve the vision. With Avastin, we can inject a patient and a month later they can read four-five lines better on the eye chart. I will swear by the stuff! We also have a treatment called Lucentis, but it's exactly like Avastin only you must be injected more often thereby increasing your risk of endopthalmitis (very bad eye infection which results in blindness). So if you or someone you know is getting or has received an Avastin injection, they are in the best hands possible!!! Trust me I see miracles with that drug.

Question: IS AVASTIN BEEN PROOVED AN EFFECTIVE DRUG FOR COLLON METASTASIS CANCER?

Answer: Has Avastin been proven effective for metastatic colon carcinoma? The NCI (U.S.) data is readily available via the internet http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treat… From http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressre… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15175… Patients who received IFL plus bevacizumab survived a median of 20.3 months while those on IFL plus placebo had a median survival of 15.6 months. Cancer did not progress for a median of 10.6 months in the bevacizumab group compared to 6.2 months in the other group. Tumors shrank by at least half in 45 percent of the patients who received bevacizumab versus 35 percent in the other group. "This is the first phase III trial of an anti-angiogenesis strategy to treat human cancer,� said lead investigator Herbert Hurwitz, M.D., of Duke University Medical Center. “The results are clinically meaningful.� From http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/g… "Avastin is approved by the FDA to treat patients with cancer of the colon or rectum that has spread to other parts of the body. The drug is not a cure, but studies show that the use of the drug along with chemotherapy increased survival of patients with metastatic colon cancer by five months. Avastin is an injection that is given along with the chemotherapy for colon cancer. The injection is given by vein (intravenously) every two weeks. Studies show that the drug enhances the effects of chemotherapy but does not appear to be effective when given alone in patients with colorectal cancer. Side effects of Avastin include: Fatigue and weakness High blood pressure Diarrhea Headache Loss of appetite Holes in the colon requiring surgical repair Heart failure Kidney damage due to increased protein in the urine Decreased ability of wounds to heal (so it shouldn't be used right after surgery) Bleeding or blood clotting problems" - - - My input - Avastin may help buy some extra months for a small number of patients with metastatic colon carcinoma with significant expense and a risk of treatment related toxicity. It is not a cure for metastatic colo-rectal carcinoma.

Question: Avastin. I've Bronchial carcinoid and been told Avastin may cure me, how can I get it affordably? In Australia Avastin has not been aproved for carcinoid and there are no trials coming up. So how can I access this treatment which would cost maybe $15000 per course? It might save my life

Answer: You can contact the company directly and make inquiries if you are under insured. In the US there is a program to help patients with this but in Australia I am unsure how you receive help: https://www.genentechaccesssolutions.com… https://www.genentechaccesssolutions.com… Call the company. Hopefully they can guide you. Also contact Needy Meds: http://www.needymeds.com/ Why won't your insurance cover this? Good luck.

Question: What would cause a person to stop being treated with Avastin?

Answer: 1) Progression of disease (ie., treatment not working) 2) Allergic/hypersensitivity reaction 3) Bleeding/blood clot problems 4) Bowel perforation (hole in gut) 5) Excessive urine protein due to avastin 6) Uncontrolable hypertension 7) there are others, those most common

Question: Stage IV colon cancer patient being treated with FOLFOX+Avastin for only 4 mo. and still the cancer progress? Is this possible? What should be the next course of action after that? FOLFIRI? Is it even possible that both A) the Avastin doesn't work on this particular patient and B) the 5-FU doesn't work either? ***Sorry, I meant to say 4 rounds of treatment, not 4 months. So, it's really 2 months, and the cancer progressed on FOLFOX+Avastin.

Answer: Sweetie, some chemo treatments just don't work and the oncologist has to tweak the treatment. For my Stage III Colon Cancer, I was on FOLFOX + Oxyplatinan. It was not friendly to me and I was only able to last three months on it, or six rounds, then ended up taking Xeloda. It was enough to "so far" (knock on wood) stop the cancer. So, in my situation, my chemo had to be tweaked. Don't pay attention to stats or idiots who quote stats. Each person is different in how they react to cancer and to cancer treatments. There are thousands of Stage III and Stage IV Survivors who have lived past five years out there so just ignore them. The next course of treatment could be anything prescribed by the oncologist--just flow with it and if you question it, get a second opinion and get your mind in the right place to be positive and to mentally combat it. Just remember it isn't unusual to modify or change chemo treatments because they are not responsive to a certain situation. I wish you the best.

Question: triple negative breast cancer which has come back 5 times and now is in my lungs, Just started avastin ? and abraxene. Any thoughts on survival or new treatments?

Answer: I don't know much about triple negative but i did find this website designated to triple negative http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/index.html You might find this forum link on the website particularly helpful as it is for triple negative brest cancer recurrence/metastisis http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/tnbc/forum… On page two and beyond there are some forums discussing avastin.