[Cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with gastrointestinal cancer]

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers.

The data of 35 colorectal cancers (CRC), 11 advanced gastric cancers (AGC) and 3 other gastrointestinal cancers treated with cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed, and the efficacy and adverse events were analyzed.

Of the 49 patients, 37 were evaluable. Twenty-nine CRC were evaluated by RECIST criteria with a PR rate of 24.1%, SD rate of 51.8% and disease control rate (DC) of 75.9%. Subgroup analysis showed that the response rate (RR) and DC rate were 36.4% and 90.9% for the first-line therapy, 20.0% and 70.0% for the second-line therapy, 12.5% and 62.5% in the heavily pre-treated cases, respectively. Six patients with AGC were assessed for efficacy, including 2 PR for first-line therapy, 1 CR and 1 SD for second-line therapy, and 2 with progressive disease in the heavily pre-treated cases. Rash was observed in 79.6% of the patients with a grade 3 rate of 8.2%, and the severity was relevant to the DC. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was observed in 16.3%, and grade 3 infusion related reaction (IRR) happened in 4.1% (2 cases).

Cetuximab combined with chemotherapy is safe and effective for patients with gastrointestinal cancer. In colorectal cancers, the combination therapy shows a high disease control rate, especially in first-line therapy. The severity of rash may be parallel with efficacy. The combination therapy is also promising in the treatment of AGC.