THE Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health through the Government Analyst/Food and Drug Department has issued a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States about the drug Avastin The FDA announcement said:
“FDA USA and its experts, after reviewing the available studies, pronounced that, “women who take Avastin for the metastatic breast cancer, risk potentially life threatening side effects without proof that the use of the Avastin will provide a benefit, in terms of the delay in tumor growth that would justify those risks.
“Nor is there evidence that the use of Avastin will either help them live longer or improve their quality of life. Avastin risks include severe high blood pressure, bleeding and hemorrhage, heart attack or heart failure, development of perforation in different parts of the body such as the nose, stomach and intestines.
“Avastin was used in combination with the cancer drug paclitaxel for those patients who have not been treated with chemotherapy for their form of metastatic breast cancer. This indication must now be removed from Avastin product label.”
Patients who are currently on Avastin are advised to consult with their health care provider or the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health.