Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor in colorectal cancer: A review

In recent years, the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has dramatically changed thanks to the advent of new drugs called molecular targeted therapies such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) and anti-epidermal growth factor (anti-EGFR). Bevacizumab, aflibercept and ramucirumab which belong to the first category, have been used for many years in clinical practice, achieving improvements in progression- free survival and overall survival in many phase III trials. These agents act by blocking the growth of the tumor vascular bed via the inhibition of neoangiogenesis. This review summarizes all available data in the literature on bevacizumab, aflibercept, and ramucirumab and describes their use in the continuum of care of mCRC.