In an article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers report that bevacizumab (Avastin) is associated with an increased risk of significant heart failure in patients with breast cancer.

Bevacizumab is a VEGF pathway inhibitor. This means it stops the formation of new blood vessels that can help a tumor grow.  For more information on VEGF pathway inhibitors, please click here and scroll down to the related heading.

Currently there are active clinical trials investigating the role for bevacizumab and other VEGF pathway inhibitors in treating neuroendocrine cancers.

This article uses data from previous clinical trials to examine whether there was a correlation between bevacizumab and congestive heart failure.  It concludes that patients on bevacizumab for breast cancer have an increased relative risk of developing heart failure, even though the overall incidence remains low.

Please note that there are some limitations to the study.  It did not examine the health records of individuals taking part in the bevacizumab trials.  Therefore, comorbid conditions, prior exposure to cardiotoxic therapies, and individual risk factors were not taken into account. Still, all patients should be aware of the potential for heart problems when seeking treatment with VEGF inhibitors.

The authors conclude, "...the use of bevacizumab increases the risk of serious CHF [congestive heart failure] in patients with metastatic breast cancers...Physicians and investigators should be award of this adverse effect and should monitor patients receiving bevacizumab closely to offer early intervention and to optimize the balance between oncologic clinical benefit and life-threatening adverse events."

CFCF encourages any patient receiving or considering treatment with VEGF inhibitors to discuss any potential risk with their personal physician.  For help in finding a physician well-versed in treating patients with neuroendocrine tumors, please visit the doctor database or contact us.