Revisiting the Role of Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that interferes with VEGF binding to its receptor on vascular endothelium. Bevacizumab has been approved for the treatment of various malignant tumors, and has been studied in combination with several cytotoxic agents in the treatment of breast cancer. In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for the use of bevacizumab in combination with weekly paclitaxel for first-line treatment of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. However, this approval was later reversed in 2010 because of concerns for safety and lack of improvement in overall survival in randomized clinical trials. In this review, we summarize relevant clinical studies conducted to investigate the role of bevacizumab in the management of breast cancer, both in the early stage and in the metastatic disease settings. We also provide commentary regarding the future of this agent in breast cancer treatment.