PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Christoph Schliemann
AU  - Christoph Biermann
AU  - Andreas Hilbis
AU  - Thorsten Kessler
AU  - Joachim Schmidt
AU  - Karsten Wiebe
AU  - Klaus-Michael Müller
AU  - Thomas K. Hoffmann
AU  - Claudius Werner
AU  - Andreas H. Groll
AU  - Christina Kessler
AU  - Rainer Wiewrodt
AU  - Claudia Rudack
AU  - Berdel Wolfgang
AU  - Michael Mohr
TI  - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis - rapid response to systemic bevacizumab
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1798
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/1798.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/1798.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a potentially devastating, non-curable disease caused by infection with human papilloma virus (HPV), mainly HPV-6 and -11. Manifestations of RRP can occur everywhere in the respiratory tract and may lead to laryngeal, tracheal or bronchial obstructions, pulmonary nodes and cystic lesions due to valve effects. Malignant transformation occurs in 3 to 5% of the cases. Long-term management of patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) remains challenging. Local debulking is the current treatment of choice and antiviral therapy is a possible adjuvant approach. Here, we report an immediate and sustained therapeutic effect of systemically applied bevacizumab without further local treatment in a series of five consecutive patients (7-56y) with RRP. In all cases, a rapid response to the first infusion of bevacizumab could be documented bronchoscopically within a few days.Continued anti-VEGF treatment resulted in sustained (very good) partial responses of tracheal or laryngeal papilloma manifestations. Due to limited alternatives VEGF-targeted therapies represent a promising novel strategy in the treatment of RRP and should be further investigated in clinical trials.