Bevacizumab for Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

In their report on chemotherapy plus bevacizumab for non–small-cell lung cancer, as compared with chemotherapy alone, Sandler and colleagues (Dec. 14 issue)¹ conclude that the addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel and carboplatin has a significant survival benefit but is associated with an increased risk of treatment-related death. According to their results, 12 patients need to be treated to prevent one death at 1 year, at the price of an excess of one death from toxic effects for every 24 patients treated. Clearly, the balance between benefit and risk is questionable.