What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 6 patients with biopsy-proven cerebral radiation necrosis treated with bevacizumab between 2006 and 2008.
What They Found
All 6 patients demonstrated a radiographic response on interval MRI follow-up, with an average reduction of 79% for post-gadolinium studies and 49% for FLAIR images. This initial partial radiographic response was observed for a mean follow-up time of 5.9 months, suggesting bevacizumab may produce radiographic and clinical benefits.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients experiencing cerebral radiation necrosis, bevacizumab could potentially offer a new therapeutic option to reduce oedema and improve clinical outcomes. This may be particularly relevant given the limited efficacy of current treatments for this serious complication.
Canadian Relevance
This study does not have a direct Canadian connection as it was conducted outside of Canada.
Study Limitations
The main limitation of this study is its retrospective design and very small sample size of only six patients.