Phase II trial of pemetrexed and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We hypothesized that bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), will potentiate the activity of pemetrexed, a multitargeted antifolate, in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Patients and methods

Patients with previously untreated, recurrent, or metastatic SCCHN were treated with pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg given intravenously every 21 days with folic acid and B(12) supplementation until disease progression. Primary end point was time-to-progression (TTP). DNA was isolated from whole blood samples for the detection of polymorphisms in thymidylate synthase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and VEGF.

Results

Forty patients were enrolled. The median TTP was 5 months, and

SUBMITTER: Argiris A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3083869 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature