{blacktriangledown}Bevacizumab and {blacktriangledown}cetuximab for colorectal cancer

doi:10.1136/dtb.2006.44537

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2006;44:37-40; doi:10.1136/dtb.2006.44537

${blacktriangledown}$ Bevacizumab and ${blacktriangledown}$ cetuximab for colorectal cancer

Relevant BNF section: 8.1.5

Every year in the UK, around 16,000 people die from colorectalcancer, the second commonest cause of death from cancer in theUK after lung cancer.¹ Over half of all people with colorectalcancer eventually die of metastatic disease.² While median survivalhas increased with optimal use of combination chemotherapy,^3,4only a small minority of patients are still alive 5 years afterdiagnosis of metastases.⁵ ${blacktriangledown}$ Bevacizumab (pronounced be-va-see-zoo-mab)(Avastin - Roche) and ${blacktriangledown}$ cetuximab (se-tuks-ee-mab) (Erbitux -Merck) are two new monoclonal antibodies licensed for treatingpatients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Here we assess theirefficacy and safety.