Neoadjuvant bevacizumab and chemotherapy in breast cancer

Bevacizumab (Avastin, Roche-Genentech) is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting all isoforms of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), an important regulator of angiogenesis. It stimulates endothelial cell proliferation/migration as well as induces vascular leakage or vasodilatation, which are essential in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions (1). It has been found that VEGF-A expression is upregulated in various human tumors. Over the past decade, bevacizumab has been incorporated into chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer patients with advanced diseases including colorectal cancer, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma.