Abstract
Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has been reported to significantly prolong survival when added to intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Although, the adverse effects of bevacizumab are usually mild, the drug may occasionally cause serious adverse effects. In particular, attention must be paid to the risk of occurrence of gastrointestinal perforation events (GIP events) and cerebrovascular accidents. The reported incidence of GIP events is 2.2% and that of cerebrovascular accidents is 3.2%. GIP events usually occur after 2 courses of treatment and cerebrovascular accidents after 5-10 courses.
