In his discussion of the QUASAR2 presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2014 Congress, Axel Grothey, MD, Professor of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, said the results “confirm what we know” and have no implications for clinical practice or for future clinical trials. The results are “as expected, with the exception of the [microsatellite instability] story,” he offered. The microsatellite instability interaction with treatment could warrant further evaluation but in the preclinical setting, he suggested.

“QUASAR2 adds to the remarkably consistent negative results of adjuvant bevacizumab studies in multiple tumor entities,” Dr. Grothey noted. “One adjuvant lung cancer trial has not [been completed] yet, but I would not hold my breath.”

While there remains some debate about whether the 12-month inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor is simply too short, he said, “We will never know, because the door for bevacizumab has closed.” ■

Disclosure: The Mayo Foundation has received funding from Genentech, Bayer, Pfizer, Eisai, and Eli Lilly for research conducted under Dr. Grothey’s leadership.