Bevacizumab Plus Fluorouracil and Leucovorin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Stage IV Colorectal Cancer That Has Progressed After Standard Chemotherapy

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma
• * Stage IV (metastatic) disease
• * Not curable by surgery or radiotherapy
• Must have received prior standard chemotherapy regimens, including oxaliplatin and irinotecan, and meet both of the following criteria:
• * Disease progression during or after irinotecan-based chemotherapy for metastatic disease OR relapsed disease within 6 months after adjuvant irinotecan-based therapy
• * Disease progression during or after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for metastatic disease OR relapsed disease within 6 months after adjuvant oxaliplatin-based therapy
• No brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• No evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST less than 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 5 times ULN
• PT and INR no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• PTT no greater than ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Proteinuria less than grade 1 OR
• Proteinuria less than 500 mg/24 hours
• Cardiovascular
• No prior stroke
• No uncontrolled high blood pressure
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No thromboembolism within the past 6 months
• Other
• Chemonaive
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months after study participation
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 6 weeks
• No prior allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to bevacizumab or other study agents
• No active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No serious nonhealing wound (including wounds healing by secondary intention), ulcer, or bone fracture
• No CNS disease, including either of the following:
• * Primary brain tumor
• * Seizures not controlled with standard medical therapy
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• At least 8 weeks since prior monoclonal antibody therapy
• No prior bevacizumab
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior major radiotherapy (e.g., chest or bone palliative radiotherapy)
• Surgery
• More than 6 weeks since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy
• More than 7 days since prior fine needle aspiration or core biopsy
• No concurrent surgery
• Other
• Recovered from prior therapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic agents
• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation
• * Prophylactic anticoagulation of venous access devices allowed provided PT/INR or PTT criteria are met
• No concurrent chronic aspirin (greater than 325 mg/day) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents for the malignancy