This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Bevacizumab may be tolerated by cancer patients with healthy eyes
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Systemic bevacizumab was not detrimental anatomically or functionally in the healthy eyes of cancer patients, according to a study recently published in Optometry and Vision Science.
Yildiz and colleagues conducted a prospective study with 34 eyes of 17 patients who had undergone chemotherapy due to colon, lung or breast cancer.
Researchers conducted ophthalmologic examinations at baseline, after the first course of the participant's chemotherapy and after the chemotherapy protocol was complete. Optical coherence tomography was performed, and color vision and best-corrected visual acuity were assessed.
Participants received bevacizumab intravenously in three differing dosages.
The patients were also examined by an internal specialist, and their chemotherapy protocols were designed as systemic 5-fluorouracil-, oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based regimens with bevacizumab in three different treatment dosages (5, 7.5 and 15 mg/kg per day) every 2 weeks for 3 to 9 months.
Results showed no anatomical changes in central foveal thickness or retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and no functional changes in color vision function or best-corrected visual acuity.
"Our study is the first clinical trial to investigate these possible theoretical effects of systemic bevacizumab on retinal functions and morphology," the authors concluded. "We could not find any toxic effects of systemic bevacizumab administration even in a dose of 16,200 mg. However, effects to neuronal cells by bevacizumab cannot be ruled out if the tissue is predamaged (e.g,, in glaucoma patients) or if higher concentrations are applied."
Researchers admitted that there were limitations to their study and suggested additional studies to identify the possibility of adverse effects.
"Further long-term studies that include histologic and biochemical analyses need to be conducted to demonstrate the possible adverse effects of systemic bevacizumab treatment," they said. "Additionally, future studies using spectral-domain OCT and enhanced depth imaging OCT to measure choroidal thickness may also improve the ability to observe structural changes owing to systemic anti-VEGF."
Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts