Topical bevacizumab shows promise as adjuvant therapy for conjunctival neoplasms

This small prospective study found that topical bevacizumab is effective at reducing the tumor size of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) before surgery and may be a good alternative for adjuvant therapy of conjunctival neoplasms.

The authors evaluated the use of topical bevacizumab 25 mg/mL four times daily for 5 to 14 weeks for the management of CIN in 10 patients. Treatment was continued until no further regression was noted in consecutive visits.

The size and vascularity of the tumors reduced weekly. After topical treatment, all patients underwent excisional biopsy, cryotherapy and amniotic membrane transplantation. The histopathologic diagnosis of the lesions was carcinoma in situ. No recurrence was observed during six months of follow-up.

Based on their findings, the authors conclude that topical bevacizumab may be considered as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of conjunctival neoplasms but cannot replace standard therapy of excision and cryotherapy.

Furthermore, using topical bevacizumab to decrease the lesion size prior to excision could help decrease the extent of the surgical excision and its associated risks, such as limbal stem cell damage, pseudopterygium and symblepharon formation, and granulation tissue formation.

Further studies are needed on the treatment’s long-term safety and efficacy, although cost may limit widespread use.