The widely used cancer drug Avastin in under scrutiny. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it has been found that when the drug is used in conjunction with chemotherapy there is a higher chance of death.

Oncologist Dr. Charles Bowers with Spartanburg Regional Health Care System said that death is not just a common side effect.

"If you compare it to other medicine that we use those side effects are probably less", said Dr. Charles Bowers.

He also said that the drug Avastin works with chemotherapy by cutting off the blood supply to the tumour. This has been highly efficient in case of lung cancer and colon cancer.

When this drug was tested at the Gibbs Centre in Spartanburg, there were no red flags during clinical trials.

"Avastin, I never found to be more toxic or to have more side effects than other medicines", said Bowers.

Bowers also told the patients that if they find any bleeding or symptoms like severe headaches and appears to be any sort of strokes, then they should inform the person giving Avastin.

In last December the drug, administration withdrew this product from the market and warned against the use of this medicine in treating breast cancer.