Avastin for maintenance therapy: Any experiences to share?

My doctor was surprised, and is trying to get a CT scan sooner than planned. I downplayed my bone pain, worried that she would stop the Avastin. I’m taking Tylenol to help the pain.

I receive Avastin currently as maintenance therapy, right after I finished 6 cycles of chemo,
which also included Avastin. I'm scheduled for my 15th infusion and will have had 18.
My experience with it include many side effects, some have subsided, others hang on. Fatigue is one
of them, also bone pain but tolerable. Fatigue and bone pain are more prevalent in the first week after the infusion. I force myself to fight the fatigue and do some physical work instead of staying in bed. It gets better in the 3rd week then it starts all over. Your CT scan shows no evidence of cancer-that is very good news. There could be various reasons why the CA125 went up, but it is still in normal range. Is your oncologist concerned? How often is your CA125 checked? Mine is tested every 3 weeks with the infusion.
I understand that any rising CA125 can cause worries.

@sylvieanne While we wait for other members who have been on Avastin to respond I'd like to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect and to our Gynecological Cancers Support Group.

It must have have been very good news to your when your recent CT showed no evidence of cancer. I did not have ovarian cancer and so have not had C-125 tests. My understanding from what I have read is that there can be variations in C-125 due to a variety of factors that are not necessarily related to ovarian cancer.

CA-125-Mayo Clinic:

-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ca-125-test/about/pac-20393295

What did your doctor says about the C-125 number? And your bone pain?

Sorry, new to chats. I’ve been on platinum treatments and Avastin for my last 6 chemo treatments out of 12 total. My CT showed no evidence of cancer one month ago and yet my ÇA 125 just went up to 30 from 12. Am I out of remission? I’m on Avastin and have had two post chemo infusions. Is Avastin not working? My bone pain is quite bad. Is that normal?

I’m experiencing a lot of bone pain and fatigue on Avastin. Am I alone?

Used Avastin for 9 months after completing chemo for ovarian cancer. It was terminated as my urine protein was found to be out of range. Later it was discovered that Avastin hid tiny new cancer cells on my spine, as they were not detected until Avastin was terminated. The following MRIs indicated a spread of the cancer cells to my spine. They would not have been detected if I had continued with Avastin.

Did you have radiation for your uterine cancer?

I am on avastin after 3 lines of treatmdnt for metastatic uterine cancer. So far so good (almost 5 months in) but those nasty side effects could hit at any time.

I have recently finished chemotherapy and Dr has recommended Avastin as a maintenance treatment. I am resistant to this because of the possibility of fistulas for patients with recurrence at field of prior radiation for metastatic cervical cancer. In one trial the frequency of GI-vaginal fistula's in this group was 16.7%. Has any one using Avastin run into this? There are also possibilities for venous thromboembolic reactions (I have already had DVT's from cancer treatment) and serious ocular reactions such as increased intraocular pressure.(I have glaucoma)

You're in the discussion now, Katherine. Your post is here. If you would like to read the discussion from the beginning click this link: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/avastin-as-maintenance-therapy-for-ovarian-cancer/