High incidence of cetuximab-related infusion reactions in head and neck patients
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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Porcine As a Training Module for Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction
Published on: September 29, 2018
Virginia Palomar Coloma1, Pamela Bravo2, Naima Lezghed1
1Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France., Villejuif, France.
Background:
Cetuximab is crucial in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck of patients. Grade 3-4 cetuximab-induced infusion reactions (CI-IRs) occur in 2% of patients with colorectal cancer. Despite the 2.7% CI-IR rate in the EXTREME trial, higher rates were reported in small series of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (6%-18%). There is an urgent need to better appraise the natural history and the predictive factors for CI-IRs in patients with HNSCC exposed to cetuximab.
Methods:
The medical records from patients with HNSCC (n=428) treated by cetuximab at Gustave Roussy from January 2013 to December 2015 were reviewed. The impact of potential risk factors was analysed.
Results:
Out of 428 patients, 24 patients (5.4%) presented CI-IR, including grade 3-4 (95.7%); about 21% (5/24) requiring intensive care unit referral and quasi all occurred within the first cycle (21/24). In a multivariate analysis, the occurrence of grade 3-4 CI-IR was associated with tobacco and alcohol history (p=8.5e-3) and with prior allergy history (p=2.9e-3). CI-IRs tended to be associated with poor overall survival in patients with recurrent and metastatic HNSCC and with a higher number of further lines of chemotherapy.
Conclusion:
In real life, CI-IRs appear far more common in patients with HNSCC (5.4%) than reported in prospective trials. This is the largest series of patients ever focusing on the risk of CI-IR in patients with HNSCC. Prior allergy history and tobacco history are associated with CI-IR and could be used to better allocate treatment. Further prospective data are required to confirm these findings.
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