Would you use bevacizumab in a metastatic RAS-mutant colon cancer, if the patient had a colon perforation that was resected?
The risk for bevacizumab-related bowel perforation has been reported and evaluated in multiple studies. The absolute number is a quick low.
Here is one of the largest studies with 1,953 colorectal cancer patients who had bevacizumab treatment with median follow up of 20.1 months. Among the 1,953 patients (1,649 had primary tumor resection and 304 still had primary tumor), 37 patients had bowel perforation. Nine (9/304, 3%) patients still had primary tumor in situ while 28 (28/1649, 1.7%) patients already had primary tumor resection. We do not have a clear predictive marker to identify which patients have a higher risk for bowel perforation although, in the clinic practice, we would be very cautious to use bevacizumab for patients with a large burden of peritoneal carcinomatosis, a history of bowel obstruction, bulky obstructing primary tumor, etc due to the concern of increased risk of bowel perforation or potential need for urgent surgery. However, a history of resected perforated tumor would not be a clear contraindication for bevacizumab treatment.
Yes. That is not a contraindication.