Therapeutic potential and critical analysis of trastuzumab and bevacizumab in combination with different chemotherapeutic agents against metastatic breast/colorectal cancer affecting various endpoints

Abstract

Researchers are working day and night across the globe to eradicate or at least lessen the menace of cancer faced by the mankind. The two very frequently occurring cancers faced by the human beings are metastatic breast cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer. The various chemotherapeutic agents like anthracycline, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, irinotecan, fluorouracil and leucovorin etc., have been used impressively for long. But the obstinate character of metastatic breast cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer needs more to tackle the threat. So, the scientists found the use of monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab (Herceptin(®)) and bevacizumab (Avastin(®)) for the same. The current study critically investigates the therapeutic potential of trastuzumab and bevacizumab in combination with various chemotherapeutic agents against metastatic breast cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the very first critical analysis showing percent wise increase in various positive endpoints like median time to disease progression, median survival, and progression free survival etc. for the treatment of metastatic breast/colorectal cancer using trastuzumab and bevacizumab in combination with different chemotherapeutic agents and provides the rational for the success and failure of the selected monoclonal antibodies.

Keywords: Anthracycline; Bevacizumab; Cyclophosphamide; Fluorouracil; Irinotecan; Leucovorin; Metastatic breast cancer; Metastatic colorectal cancer; Paclitaxel; Trastuzumab.