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Complete remission of ovarian cancer induced intractable malignant ascites with intraperitoneal bevacizumab. Immunological observations and a literature review

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Summary

Malignant ascites resistant to conventional drugs frequently affects ovarian cancer patients at the end of life. Here we report the case of a patient who benefited from complete resolution of ascites after low dose intraperitoneal administration of bevacizumab. Immunological analyses showed an initial increase in proportion and function of CD8+ effector T cells and a reduction of circulating Treg cells. A review of the current literature regarding bevacizumab in ovarian cancer is reported. Bevacizumab has shown a high efficacy in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Intraperitoneal administration induces an immune activation and appears promising in the treatment of malignant ascites.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Associazione Italiana Ricerca contro il Cancro, Ministero della Salute/Regione Lazio, Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca. Chiara Napoletano was supported by Associazione Italiana Ricerca contro il Cancro.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Filippo Bellati, Maria Pastore, Milena Pernice, Morena Antonilli & Pierluigi Benedetti Panici

  2. Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Filippo Bellati, Chiara Napoletano, Ilary Ruscito & Marianna Nuti

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Rome Sapienza, viale del Policlinico, Rome, 155-00161, Italy

    Filippo Bellati

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  1. Filippo Bellati
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Correspondence to Filippo Bellati.

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Intraperitoneal Bevacizumab induces an immune activation and is highly effective in the treatment of refractory malignant ascites in ovarian cancer.

Filippo Bellati and Chiara Napoletano have contributed equally to this work.

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Bellati, F., Napoletano, C., Ruscito, I. et al. Complete remission of ovarian cancer induced intractable malignant ascites with intraperitoneal bevacizumab. Immunological observations and a literature review. Invest New Drugs 28, 887–894 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10637-009-9351-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10637-009-9351-4

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