What did a panel of cancer experts rule concerning the cancer drug Avastin?

A panel of cancer experts ruled Wednesday that Avastin—the world’s best-selling cancer drug, developed by Genentech in South San Francisco—should no longer be used in breast cancer patients because of concerns that the medicine didn’t work as well in follow-up studies and may cause deadly bleeding.
    Outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 6-0 against Avastin’s use in breast cancer at a hearing. Their recommendations will be sent to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, who will make the final ruling on. Avastin will remain on the market because it’s approved for four other types of tumors—lung, kidney, colon and brain cancer. Approval for those uses won’t be affected by Wednesday’s recommendation.
    The FDA gave Avastin accelerated approval for breast cancer in February 2008 on the basis of one study that suggested the medicine, combined with chemotherapy, slowed tumor growth by 5 1/2 months. Required follow-up tests found Avastin kept cancer at bay for one to two months. (8) The drug was also tied to more life-threatening side effects such as severe bleeding, stomach tears and high blood pressure.
                                                         San Francisco Chronicle