Cited by 5,035Colorectal Cancer Treatments and StudiesColorectal Cancer Surgical TreatmentsHER2/EGFR in Cancer Research

Cetuximab Monotherapy and Cetuximab plus Irinotecan in Irinotecan-Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

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Cunningham, David, Humblet, Yves, Siena, Salvatore, Khayat, David, Bleiberg, Harry, Santoro, Armando, Bets, Danny, Mueser, Matthias +4 more·2004·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which participates in signaling pathways that are deregulated in cancer cells, commonly appears on colorectal-cancer cells. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks the EGFR. We compared the efficacy of cetuximab in combination with irinotecan with that of cetuximab alone in metastatic colorectal cancer that was refractory to treatment with irinotecan. METHODS: We randomly assigned 329 patients whose disease had progressed during or within three months after treatment with an irinotecan-based regimen to receive either cetuximab and irinotecan (at the same dose and schedule as in a prestudy regimen [218 patients]) or cetuximab monotherapy (111 patients). In cases of disease progression, the addition of irinotecan to cetuximab monotherapy was permitted. The patients were evaluated radiologically for tumor response and were also evaluated for the time to tumor progression, survival, and side effects of treatment. RESULTS: The rate of response in the combination-therapy group was significantly higher than that in the monotherapy group (22.9 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 17.5 to 29.1 percent] vs. 10.8 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 5.7 to 18.1 percent], P=0.007). The median time to progression was significantly greater in the combination-therapy group (4.1 vs. 1.5 months, P<0.001 by the log-rank test). The median survival time was 8.6 months in the combination-therapy group and 6.9 months in the monotherapy group (P=0.48). Toxic effects were more frequent in the combination-therapy group, but their severity and incidence were similar to those that would be expected with irinotecan alone. CONCLUSIONS: Cetuximab has clinically significant activity when given alone or in combination with irinotecan in patients with irinotecan-refractory colorectal cancer.

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  • The EGFR pathway is particularly relevant in the pathogenesis of pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

    “Given the particular relevance of the EGFR pathway in the pathogenesis of pancreatic and colorectal cancers [16, 17]”

    From Anti-tumor efficacy of a potent and selective non-covalent KRASG12D inhibitor (2022) · cites this paper as [16]

    The paper’s discussion of EGFR states that it is relevant to colorectal cancer and describes cancer-related processes regulated by its signaling pathway (results section; page unavailable). The copy does not make the same claim about pancreatic cancer; pancreatic cancer appears only in a cited reference title. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The first biological agents targeting EGFR and VEGF(R) further improved systemic treatment.

    “The first biological agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and VEGF (receptor) (VEGF(R)) further improved systemic treatment;21 22”
  • Cetuximab provides clinical benefit primarily in colorectal cancers that do not harbor KRAS mutations and in those with high expression of EGFR ligands amphiregulin and epiregulin.

    “Importantly, cetuximab provides clinical benefit primarily in colorectal cancers that do not harbor KRAS mutations (Cunningham et al., 2004) and in those with high expression of EGFR ligands amphiregulin and epiregulin (Khambata-Ford et al., 2007).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. platin combinations in patients with previ- ously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:23-30.
  2. Saltz LB, Cox JV, Blanke C, et al. Irinote- can plus fluorouracil and leucovorin for met- astatic colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 2000; 343:905-14.
  3. Goldstein NS, Armin M. Epidermal growth factor receptor immunohistochem- ical reactivity in patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage IV colon adeno- carcinoma: implications for a standardized scoring system. Cancer 2001;92:1331-46.
  4. Saltz L, Rubin MS, Hochster HS, et al. Cetuximab (IMC-C225) plus irinotecan (CPT-11) is active in CPT-11 refractory co- lorectal cancer that expresses epidermal growth factor receptor. Prog Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 2001;20:3a. abstract.
  5. Miller AB, Hoogstraten B, Staquet M, Winkler A. Reporting results of cancer treat- ment. Cancer 1981;47:207-14.
  6. Saltz L, Kies MS, Abbruzzese J, Azarnia N, Needle MN. The presence and intensity of the cetuximab-induced acne-like rash predicts increased survival in studies across multiple malignancies. Prog Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 2003;22:204. abstract.

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Authors
Cunningham, D., Humblet, Y., Siena, S., Khayat, D., Bleiberg, H., Santoro, A., Bets, D., Mueser, M., Harstrick, A., Verslype, C., Chau, I., & Van Cutsem, E.
Affiliations
  • Royal Marsden Hospital (GB)
  • UCLouvain (BE)
  • Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (IT)
  • Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (FR)
  • Institut Jules Bordet (BE)
  • IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital (IT)
  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt (Germany) (DE)
  • Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven (BE)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2004-07-22
Volume
351
Issue
4
Pages
337-345
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W2142564546
Cited by
5,035
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 38 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 93 · 2023: 117 · 2022: 121 · 2021: 100 · 2020: 129 · 2019: 134 · 2018: 123 · 2017: 161 · 2016: 228 · 2015: 243 · 2014: 277 · 2013: 297 · 2012: 315
FWCI
171.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Libraries (Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), l'Université de Namur (UNamur) and the Université Saint-Louis (USL-B)) (submittedVersion)
  • Dépôt institutionnel de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (Université Libre de Bruxelles) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › HER2/EGFR in Cancer Research
Keywords
cetuximab, irinotecan, metastatic colorectal cancer, irinotecan-refractory disease, EGFR inhibition, monoclonal antibodies, combination chemotherapy, time to progression, survival, treatment toxicity
MeSH terms
Cetuximab, Irinotecan, Adenocarcinoma, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antineoplastic Agents, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Camptothecin, Exanthema, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Metastasis, Colorectal Neoplasms, Survival Analysis, Single-Blind Method, Disease Progression, Topoisomerase I Inhibitors, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, ErbB Receptors

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