Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody administered intravenously to treat cancers such as colorectal cancer; non-small cell lung cancer; glioblastoma; hepatocellular cancer; renal cell carcinoma; cervical cancer; and epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. It targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the blood. When cancer grows and spreads, the blood and oxygen supplies become insufficient. In response, the tumor cells secrete VEGF which enters the blood and binds the VEGF receptor-1 and VEGF receptor-2 on endothelial cells in the blood vessels. This activates the VEGF signaling pathway in the endothelial cells which promotes the growth of new blood vessels to supply the cancer cells with a greater blood and oxygen supply. Bevacizumab binds to VEGF in the blood and inactivates it, preventing its interaction with the VEGF receptors. The VEGF signaling pathway is not activated and angiogenesis does not occur. The cancer cells are starved of blood and oxygen, preventing the growth and spread of cancer. Bevacizumab may have side effects like epistaxis, headache, dizziness, fatigue, hypertension, rhinitis, dry skin, back pain, excessive bleeding, skin rash, poor wound healing, hemorrhage, thrombosis, renal dysfunction and bowel, stomach or nasal septum perforation.

Bevacizumab VEGF Inhibitor Pathway References