Background:
- Bevacizumab is a genetically engineered antibody that blocks the growth of new blood
vessels in tumors. It has shown activity against human brain tumors in laboratory tests
and human clinical trials.
- Irinotecan causes damage to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in cancer cells so that the
cells cannot reproduce or repair themselves. It is approved for treating patients with
colorectal cancer.
- Bevacizumab and irinotecan in combination are more effective against colon cancer than
either drug alone.
Objectives:
- To determine the safety of bevacizumab and irinotecan and any side effects associated
with the combination of the two drugs when given to patients with high grade gliomas.
- To determine if the combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan can help patients with
brain tumors that have grown after treatment with bevacizumab alone.
Eligibility:
-Patients 18 years of age and older who have been treated on National Cancer Institute (NCI)
trial 06-C-0064 (NCT00271609), "Bevacizumab Alone for Recurrent Gliomas," and whose tumor has
progressed.
Design:
Participants receive infusions of bevacizumab and irinotecan through a vein once every 2
weeks in 4-week treatment cycles, plus the following procedures:
- History, physical and neurological examinations every 2 weeks for the first treatment
cycle and then every 4 weeks
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of the head every 4 weeks.
- Routine lab every week.
- Quality-of-life questionnaire every 4 weeks