Onkologie. 2011:5(1):58-59

Long-term therapeutic efficacy of cetuximab in treating metastatic colorectal cancer following failure of previous

Petr Beneš, Jana Strážnická

Onkologická klinika FN Olomouc

chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 and FOLFIRI

In the Czech Republic, colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies both among men and women. More than 50 % of newly

diagnosed colorectal cancers are found in an advanced stage and about 20 % have distant metastases at diagnosis. The liver is the most

common site of metastasis from colorectal cancer. Curative resection of metastases is primarily feasible only in a small proportion of patients.

Thus, systemic therapy, chemotherapy and, more recently, biological therapy play a significant role in treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

Cetuximab (Erbitux) is a monoclonal antibody targeted specifically at the EGFR receptor of tumour cells, including those of colorectal cancer.

By inhibiting the activity of the EGFR receptor and its signal cascade, Erbitux can stop further growth of tumour foci and induce their regression.

Although cetuximab is also effective as monotherapy, its effect increases in combination with chemotherapy involving both irinotecan

and oxaliplatin. Moreover, adding cetuximab to chemotherapy helps to reverse the refractoriness of tumour cells to chemotherapy alone.

The present case report describes an elderly male patient who was started on cetuximab after previous chemotherapy regimens (FOLFOX4

and FOLFIRI) had failed to prevent the progression of disease. Treatment with cetuximab in combination with the FOLFIRI regimen resulted

in a significant regression of metastatic disease and, while being continued on maintenance therapy with cetuximab alone, the patient has

remained in clinical remission for more than 15 months now. The patient tolerates long-term treatment with cetuximab quite well; the main

adverse effect experienced is acneiform skin reaction which, however, does not prevent the treatment from being continued.

Keywords: colorectal cancer, PET-CT, chemotherapy, FOLFOX4, FOLFIRI, EGFR, KRAS, cetuximab

Published: February 25, 2011  Show citation