Neurosurgical Implications of Avastin

Malignant gliomas are optimally managed with maximal surgical resection followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Drug delivery challenges and chemoresistance limits the efficacy of standard chemotherapeutic agents. Understanding glioma biology has led to the development of a variety newer molecular targeting agents which have begun to show exciting preliminary results. Bevacizumab (Avastin) is one such drug likely to play a key role in malignant glioma therapy. We review the current literature in regard to the use of bevacizumab and its adverse effects in neurosurgical patients.