© 2007 European Society for Medical Oncology
monoclonal antibodies anti-EGFR and anti-VEGF |
Cetuximab in squamous cell head and neck carcinomas
1 Medical Oncology Unit, La Maddalena Hospital, Palermo
2 Department of Experimental Oncology and Clinical Applications, University of Palermo, Palermo
3 Medical Oncology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Bari
4 Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy
* Correspondence to: Dr V. Gebbia, Dipartimento Oncologico, La Maddalena, via san Lorenzo Colli n. 312d, Palermo, Italy. Tel: +39-09-16806710; Fax: +39-09-16806906; E-mail: vittorio.gebbia{at}tin.it
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antagonist, cetuximab, has recently been shown to enhance the effects of radiotherapy, and reports to date indicate that this effect occurs without any change in the pattern and severity of toxicity usually associated with head and neck radiation and/or chemotherapy (CT) administration. Moreover, several studies have reported that the expression of EGFR is strongly linked to poor outcome in patients undergoing therapy. Therefore, the presence of the EGFR in almost all cases of head and neck carcinoma offers a new therapeutic opportunity to most patients. In this paper, we report a review of the major studies dealing with the use of cetuximab in advanced head and neck cancer.
Key words: cetuximab, head and neck cancer, EGFR, patient outcome, chemotherapy, toxicity