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Articles
Avastin Approved as Second-Line Treatment for Colon
Cancer
In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
Avastin as a treatment for colon or rectal cancer that had spread
to other parts of the body. Avastin was the first drug ever
to be approved that works by choking off a tumor's blood supply.
Now, the FDA has approved it for use as a second-line treatment
as well.
A second-line treatment is like a do-over. If
the first treatment idea doesn't work for a patient, doctors
can now try using Avastin in combination with chemotherapy
drugs collectively referred to as FOLFOX4. This change came
about because research showed that as a second-line treatment,
FOLFOX4 plus Avastin resulted in about a 33% better chance
of survival than FOLFOX4 alone.
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