Cancer Drug Avastin No Longer Recommended for Women with Advanced Breast Cancer

KTNV, July 21, 2010

A panel of Federal health advisors say the cancer drug Avastin should no longer be recommended for women with advanced breast cancer. The panel says the risks outweigh the benefits.

The FDA approved Avastin for breast cancer in 2008 based on a trial showing it significantly lengthened the time until the disease worsened. However, two subsequent studies failed to show the same outcome.

“It is not saving lives and in fact women taking this drug seem to die a little sooner than women taking other drugs,” said Diana Zuckerman.

An estimated 90,000 women have used Avastin for breast cancer.