According to the American Cancer Society, targeted cancer drugs are drugs that attack cancer cells without having a major affect on healthy normal cells. Antiangiogenesis drugs target cancer cells and prevent them from making new blood vessels. Without an adequate blood supply, cancer cells do not get the nutrients they need to grow and they eventually die.
Bevacizumab (Avastin)
According to Drugs.com, bevacizumab is an antiangiogenic monoclonal antibody drug that stops the growth of blood vessels in cancer cells, thereby depriving the cells of adequate blood supply. In combination with other medications, bevacizumab treats patients with metastatic kidney cancer. A doctor administers this drug intravenously in a hospital or a cancer treatment center, and the IV dose is 10mg per kg every two weeks. Gastrointestinal bleeding and central nervous system hemorrhage are serious side effects of bevacizumab therapy, says Drugs.com. More common side effects include acid stomach, bloody nose, low blood pressure and diarrhea.
Sorafenib (Nexavar)
Sorafenib is an oral, prescription, antiangiogenesis drug that doctors use to treat kidney cancer in adults, says the Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society. The patient should take 400mg twice a day on an empty stomach. Patients on sorafenib therapy should carefully monitor their blood pressure, especially during the first six weeks of treatment. If symptoms of high blood pressure such as dizziness, blurred vision and headache appear, the patient's doctor should know about it immediately. According to the Mayo Clinic, severe abdominal or stomach burning accompanied by bloody stools, nausea and vomiting may be a sign of a dangerous bowel problem. The patient should report these symptoms to the doctor without delay. More common side effects include numbness or a tingling sensation in the palms of the hand or soles of the feet, thinning hair and weight loss.
Sunitinib (Sutent)
According to Drugs.com, sunitinib is an antiangiogenesis drug that can treat a type of kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma. The oral adult dose regimen is 50mg once a day for four weeks followed by cessation of treatment for two weeks. The doctor may then increase or decrease the dose in 12.5mg increments according to the patient's response to the medication, says Drugs.com. Side effects of treatment may include high blood pressure, fatigue, headache, skin discoloration, rash, diarrhea, nausea and inflammation of the inside lining of the mouth (stomatitis).
References
- Drugs.com: bevacizumab (intravenous route)
- Mayoclinic.com: Sorafenib (Oral Route): Brand Names and Description: Proper Use: Precautions: Side Effects
- Drugs.com: Sunitinib Malate
- American Cancer Society: Anti-angiogenesis Treatment: What is Anti-angiogenesis Treatment?
- American Cancer Society: How Anti-Angiogenesis Drugs Differ from Other Cancer Treatments
