Abstract
Cetuximab (Erbitux(®)) is a monoclonal antibody that targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In the USA, the approval of cetuximab has been recently expanded to include the first-line treatment of patients with KRAS mutation-negative (wild-type), EGFR-expressing, metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) when used in combination with FOLFIRI (irinotecan, fluorouracil, leucovorin [folinic acid]). The addition of cetuximab to first-line treatment with FOLFIRI improved progression-free survival, overall survival, and objective response rates relative to treatment with FOLFIRI alone in patients with EGFR-expressing mCRC with KRAS wild-type tumors. Therefore, cetuximab plus FOLFIRI is a useful biomarker-directed option in the first-line treatment of this patient population.
MeSH terms
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Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
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Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
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Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives
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Camptothecin / therapeutic use
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Cetuximab
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Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
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Disease-Free Survival
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ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
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ErbB Receptors / genetics
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ErbB Receptors / metabolism
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Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Guidelines as Topic
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Humans
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Leucovorin / therapeutic use
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Mutation
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Neoplasm Metastasis
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
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ras Proteins / genetics
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ras Proteins / metabolism
Substances
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Antibodies, Monoclonal
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
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KRAS protein, human
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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ErbB Receptors
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
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ras Proteins
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Cetuximab
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Leucovorin
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Fluorouracil
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Camptothecin