First Treatment

Elise had her first Avastin treatment. The way this medicine works is by preventing the formation of new blood vessels. Since tumors "feed" on blood, Avastin "starves" the tumor. Elise spent over four hours at the UW Medical Center yesterday afternoon/evening, first getting lab work-ups to make sure she was healthy enough to get the Avastin, then getting the 90-minute infusion. It was a lengthy, but uneventful process. Elise will go for Avastin infusions every two weeks.

Although Avastin has yet to be FDA approved for GBMs, major brain tumor centers have had some promising results from its use. (Avastin is typically used to treat colon cancer.) We are hopeful that Elise will be among those who benefit from its use and that she experiences no harmful side effects.

Suanne (Elise's Mom)