| Project title | Exceptional Response to Avastin Will Lead to the Identification of Pre-Selection Biomarkers for Use in Patients Diagnosed With GBM |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $126,500 |
Institution | University of New South Wales |
Investigator Team | Principal investigators A/Prof. Kerrie McDonald, Dr. Kathryn Field, with associate investigators |
Grant Type | Tony Lucas Research Grant |
Years | 2015 – 2016 |
“I’m a strong believer in the fact that we cannot treat all patients the same, and especially with brain tumours – every single tumour that we see is completely different.”
A/Prof. Kerrie McDonald
Progress
We discovered mutations in genes belonging to the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) pathway, particularly EGFR, were associated with exceptional response to Avastin. This has a significant impact on patients living with brain cancer as we now have a mechanism to potentially screen future patients for these mutations and recommend subsequent treatment with Avastin based on the presence or absence of these mutations.
This is the first report that mutations in RTK pathway genes are associated with better response to Avastin. There have been numerous reports in the literature of EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancers who have failed initial treatment with an EGFR inhibitor, have gone on to show remarkable response to Avastin treatment. This study will now lead to a series of new retrospective cohort experiments to determine the precise role RTK mutations play in response to Avastin.