Case Reports:
Bevacizumab for ramucirumab refractory malignant pleural effusion in non-small cell lung cancer: a case report and review of the literature
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Abstract
Ryobu Mori1, Daichi Fujimoto1, Munehiro Ito1 and Keisuke Tomii1
1 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
Correspondence to:
Daichi Fujimoto, email:
Keywords: bevacizumab, malignant pleural effusion, non-small cell lung cancer, ramucirumab, vascular endothelial growth factor
Received: February 14, 2017 Accepted: May 01, 2017 Published: May 17, 2017
Abstract
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a major problem associated with advanced non-small cell lung cancer for which an optimum treatment strategy has yet to be determined. Notably, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling has been found to influence MPE, and bevacizumab, a VEGF ligand inhibitor, can effectively control MPE. Ramucirumab, a human monoclonal antibody specific for VEGF receptor-2, has recently been approved for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. However, it remains unclear which of these agents more effectively control MPE.
We describe a case of a 68-year-old man with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in whom ramucirumab plus docetaxel-refractory MPE was responsive to bevacizumab plus docetaxel combination therapy. The patient’s MPE progressed after two cycles of ramucirumab plus docetaxel second-line chemotherapy. After switching to bevacizumab plus docetaxel, a computed tomography scan revealed a decreased MPE after two cycles of treatment.
Bevacizumab may be more effective for treating MPE. However, further investigations are still warranted to determine the optimal VEGF-targeted agent for this condition.
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PII: 17952