Bevacizumab in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the fifth most common malignant disorder, with an increasing incidence in Europe and the USA as a result of the high prevalence of hepatitis C. Most patients are not suitable for potentially curative treatment. There is no standard palliative treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as no drug has been demonstrated to be efficient in this disease in terms of survival. The use of anti-vascular agents might be a promising approach in view of the highly vascular nature of this tumor. The aim of this phase II trial is to evaluate the potential benefit of bevacizumab in terms of disease control rate, progression-free and overall survival in adult patients with advanced primary liver cancer. Bevacizumab is an angiogenesis inhibitor already successfully used in patients with colorectal and renal cancers.