Role of vascular density and normalization in response to neoadjuvant bevacizumab and chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1518808112
• Publication Date: 2015-11-03T01:40:47Z
• Authors: Sara M. Tolaney; Yves Boucher; Dan G. Duda; John D. Martin; Giorgio Seano; Marek Ancukiewicz; William T. Barry; Shom Goel; Johanna Lahdenrata; Steven J. Isakoff; Eren D. Yeh; Saloni R. Jain; Mehra Golshan; Jane Brock; Matija Snuderl; Eric P. Winer; Ian E. Krop; Rakesh K. Jain
• Keywords: Adult; Neovascularization, Pathologic; 610; Breast Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; 3. Good health; Bevacizumab; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Biomarkers, Tumor; Humans; Female; Aged

Significance Emerging evidence indicates patients who benefit from antiangiogenic therapies have improved vessel function. To determine how bevacizumab modulates vessel morphology to improve vessel function we conducted a phase II trial of preoperative bevacizumab followed by bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy in HER2-negative breast cancer patients. Our results suggest that the clinical response to bevacizumab may occur through an increase in the extent of vascular normalization primarily in patients with a high baseline tumor microvessel density. If validated, these observations suggest approaches to improve antiangiogenic therapy and to identify patients likely to benefit.