Haematologica (Oct 2007)

Treatment of POEMS syndrome with bevacizumab

  • Panagiotis Samaras,
  • Stefan Bauer,
  • Frank Stenner-Liewen,
  • Rudolf Steiner,
  • Martin Zweifel,
  • Christoph Renner,
  • Alexander Knuth

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.11315
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 92, no. 10

Abstract

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We report a case of POEMS syndrome which relapsed six years after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. According to encouraging data published recently, we treated the patient with cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone and the VEGF-antibody bevacizumab. After an initial improvement, the subsequent course was complicated by severe adverse events leading to multiorgan failure and death. This dramatic decline highlights the need for further investigation before using bevacizumab in patients with POEMS syndrome.