New hope for acoustic neuroma: direct brain infusion of avastin in early trial

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female patients of \>= 18 years of age. * Patients with a documented diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral VS based on MRI and who have evidence of progressive vestibular schwannomas, and are considered poor candidates for surgery and radiation therapy or declined these treatments. * Patients must have a Karnofsky performance status \>=60% (or the equivalent ECOG level of 0-2) (see Appendix A; Performance Status Evaluation) and an expected survival of \>= three months. * No chemotherapy for two weeks prior to treatment under this research protocol and no external beam radiation for two weeks prior to treatment under this research protocol. * Patients must have adequate hematologic reserve with WBC\>=3000/mm3, absolute neutrophils \>=1500/mm3 and platelets \>=100,000/ mm3. Patients who are on Coumadin must have a platelet count of \>=150,000/ mm3. * Pre-enrollment chemistry parameters must show: bilirubin\< 1.5X the institutional upper limit of normal (IUNL); AST or ALT\< 2.5X IUNL and creatinine \< 1.5X IUNL. * Pre-enrollment coagulation parameters (PT and PTT) must be \<1.5X the IUNL. * Patients must agree to use a medically effective method of contraception during and for a period of three months after the treatment period. A pregnancy test will be performed on each premenopausal female of childbearing potential immediately prior to entry into the research study. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous treatment with Avastin®. * Women who are pregnant or lactating. * Women of childbearing potential and fertile men will be informed as to the potential risk of procreation while participating in this research trial and will be advised that they must use effective contraception during and for a period of three months after the treatment period. * Patients with significant intercurrent medical or psychiatric conditions that would place them at increased risk or affect their ability to receive or comply with treatment or post-treatment clinical monitoring including MRI with gadolinium. * Surgery (including open biopsy), significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to randomization, or anticipation of the need for major surgery during study treatment. * Current or recent (within 10 days of Avastin) use of aspirin (\> 325 mg/day), full dose (i.e., therapeutic dose) of oral or parenteral anticoagulants or thrombolytic agents for therapeutic purposes. Prophylactic use of anticoagulants is allowed (e.g., warfarin (1 mg qd) for catheter prophylaxis, and prophylactic low molecular-weight heparin (i.e., enoxaparin \[(40mg QD0\]). * History or evidence of inherited bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy with a risk of bleeding. * Inadequately controlled hypertension (blood pressure: systolic \> 150 mmHg and/or diastolic \> 100 mmHg). * Patients with baseline urine dipstick for proteinuria \> 2+ must undergo a 24-hours urine collection and must demonstrate ≤ 1 g of protein in 24 hours. * Clinically significant (i.e., active) cardiovascular disease (e.g., cerebrovascular accident or myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to randomization),unstable angina, congestive heart failure (NYHA Class ≥ II), or serious cardiac arrhythmia that is uncontrolled by medication or may interfere with administration of study treatment. * Serious non-healing sound, active peptic ulcer, or untreated bone fracture. * History of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months of enrollment. * Known hypersensitivity to Avastin or any of its excipients.