Risk of Venous Thromboembolism With the Angiogenesis Inhibitor Bevacizumab in Cancer Patients

CONTEXT: Venous thromboembolism is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. Concerns have arisen regarding the risk of venous thromboembolism with the novel antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor that is widely used in cancer treatment. Currently, the role of bevacizumab in venous thromboembolism is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To assess the overall risk of venous thromboembolism associated with the use of bevacizumab, a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials was performed. DATA SOURCES: The databases of PubMed and Web of Science were searched for articles…