Dr Mark R. Gilbert presents data during a press conference at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting on a randomised phase III study that found no overall survival improvement from the addition of bevacizumab to standard first-line chemoradiation for glioblastoma. Patients who received bevacizumab also experienced more side effects compared to those treated with chemoradiation alone. The findings suggest that it should not be a part of first-line therapy for these patients with glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain tumour. Bevacizumab, an antibody that blocks the growth of tumour blood vessels, is currently approved by the FDA for patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Despite a lack of clear evidence, bevacizumab has been used off-label as first-line therapy in certain patients, in hopes of increasing the benefit to the patient.

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