Avastin side effects

[Terrin2]

Can anyone tell me what type of side effects you had with Avastin.   Did you take it alone, or with a chemo drug?

[Tybear]

Hey...my doctor actually told me I was as a moderate to high risk for this side effect and the only reason being, is that I have had 3 types of prior chemotherapy before trying Avastin. From what I have read, the more chemo you've had in the past, the more likely you are to be at high risk for bowel perforation. I'm guessing too, that if you have visible cancer on your colon, that would be a sure fire reason to avoid this drug. I gather that because this drug can literally dissolve the cancer, it leaves holes behind, hence the bowel perforations. Because your bodies ability to make blood vessels is dramatically impaired, it can't patch up those holes leaving you susceptible to infection. I wish there was a way for them to know beforehand if this was going to be a real risk or not. This one side effect alone has me scared every night...every pain I have - it's unnerving, to say the least!
I can tell that my body doesn't heal too well...I cut my finger last week and it bled tremendously - I still have the cut and if I knock that finger or hit it on something, it will start to bleed again. Scary, especially because it's so little...(seriously, like a bad papercut!)
Take care,
Becky

[vegas2cr]

This appears to be the latest I could find on bowel perforation on avastin;

Researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center have reported that the incidence of bowel perforation among patients receiving Avastin (bevacizumab) for a variety of malignancies was 1.7%. The details of this study appeared in an early on-line publication in the Annals of Oncology on November 16, 2007.1

Avastin is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF appears to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis, and blocking this activity should have an anti-tumor effect. Clinical trials of Avastin have shown activity in a variety of tumors, especially when combined with other agents. Side effects of Avastin include hypertension, GI perforation, bleeding and wound healing complications. GI perforation is of major concern as surgical intervention may be required.

The current study included a review of complications in over 1400 patients who had been treated with Avastin. 1.7% (n=24) of these patients had bowel perforation including 6% with ovarian cancer, 5.3% with gastroesophageal cancer, 5% with pancreatic cancer, 1.7% with unknown primary, 1.5% with lung cancer, 1.3% with colorectal cancer and 1.5% with renal cancer. 79% were managed non-operatively and 21% had surgical exploration. The 30 day mortality was 12.5%. These authors suggest that most patients with bowel perforation can be managed non-surgically.

[SimplyStar]

since one of the side effects is bowel perforation, do you know the percentage of that happening, as you know Leslee is going to be doing a new chemo and we are looking at a new source.

[Tybear]

Good luck to you...compared to taxol/carbo and the other trial I did, this has really been a walk in the park.
I think high blood pressure is the number one side effect - as long as they keep you well monitored, you should be fine. Is your drug company covering this for you?
Becky

[Terrin2]

Thankyou for the feedback,  I start on June 9th.  Cytoxan and Avastin

[Tybear]

I too am on Avastin, but with daily cyclophosphamide pills and I'm not having many side effects either. I will tell you though, that I am exhausted lately...I'm assuming it's the Avastin. I had my last treatment last night and I feel ok today - really wiped out. I do tend to get mild headaches too, but never anything to severe. I would say that fatigue is by far the worst of it - so bad, it's making me mildly depressed. Thank God it's over.....for now!
Take care,
Becky

[crecco]

Terri,
  I am on avastin/abraxane. At first the side effects were not to bad, and actually they still aren't. My white blood counts tends to lower once in awhile, but the biggest problem I have had has been with my blood pressure as avastin can cause high blood pressure. So I am on BP meds to keep it under control. I have also noticed that recently I am much more tired after treatments than before. But over all, it is not as hard as others that I have been on.
Hope this helps a little,
    Chris