Novel Cetuximab Usage Recommendation for Colon Cancer Treatment

In a study printed in the latest edition of the American Society for Clinical Oncology Post, issuing of new-fangled advice on the deployment of medication cetuximab has surfaced following medical health professionals halting recruitment in a third phase of scientific study for people having colon cancer metastasized to the local lymph nodes whose tumor excision via surgery has been done.

On the basis of previous trials, cetuximab is presently suggested as therapy among people having later staging colorectal cancer and among whom the tumors did not have presence of a mutation in the KRAS gene.

KRAS belongs to the sequence of genes along a path way which could cause tumor growth and division and elude signs which cause cell shutdown and hence fatality. On the basis of outcomes in later staging of the disease, investigators are hopeful of seeing analogous advantages when the drug was included into benchmark chemotherapy regime in early colon cancer staging. But, in-progress evaluation during the scientific study noted that patients who received the combo treatment did not show any major positive change in outlook in comparison to benchmark treatment.

Cetuximab is an intravenously administered drug for treating colorectal cancer that has metastasized and for head and neck cancer patients. The drug is basically a monoclonal antibody which hampers EGFR or epidermal growth factor receptor (a cell-signalling path way which is contributory to tumor development). Earlier, scientists noted that people having a mutation in the KRAS gene – around forty percent of those patients having metastasized colon cancer failed in responding following treatment with the presently used EGFR inhibitors.

But, the genetic testing for locating mutated KRAS gene was not benchmark till the current study was half way through.

Dr. Richard Goldberg who heads the division of oncology/hematology, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine made a presentation of the study outcomes conducted on a set of patients registered prior to KRAS testing and were segregated from the others in the trial and assessed individually.

Dr. Goldberg stated that they were anticipating that the study candidates having genetic mutation might not show response to the drug cetuximab, which was what they eventually discovered. He further mentioned that study entrants with tumors not harbouring KRAS mutation failed to be majorly benefited from the combo treatment and the benchmark therapy known to have the most optimal outcomes.

Dr. Goldberg, also working for the N.C. Cancer Hospital stated that the combo treatment had far greater toxicity and side-effects particularly among patients in the elderly bracket and had a negative impact on their capability of completing the benchmark therapy.

The study investigators have put forth recommendations that the drug cetuximab must not be employed for people having colon cancer stage 3. However, cetuximab continues to be an invaluable means for treatment of advanced colorectal cancers where tumors were not harbouring a KRAS mutation. It could be offered as a sole agent or alongside chemotherapy.