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Wendy Brewster, M.D., Ph.D.
Gynecologist oncologist

The outlook for patients with ovarian cancer has improved over the past few years, in large part due to the use of a new generation of chemotherapeutic drugs. Researchers at UC Irvine have been on the forefront of this effort, continually investigating potential medicines to halt the progression of the disease.

Now, a new drug may help to further extend the lives of ovarian cancer patients. Called Avastin®, this monoclonal antibody drug has shown significant benefits in the treatment of patients with colorectal, lung and breast cancer. Our physicians are currently engaged in clinical trials evaluating the use of Avastin in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

The new drug, launched in 2004, is among the first treatments available to inhibit angiogenesis---the growth of blood vessels that “feed” cancerous tissues. The drug accomplishes this by targeting a naturally occurring protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), which cancers use to grow and survive. When VEGF is reduced, the blood supply that feeds the tumor is also diminished. This potentially prevents the growth of ovarian tumors and their spread throughout the body.

Although the drug is combined with chemotherapy in many clinical trials, UC Irvine researchers have also successfully tested Avastin as a single drug (monotherapy) in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer. The group is currently in a phase III trial testing Avastin as single-agent therapy.

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