Practical Consensus Guidelines on the Use of Cetuximab in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignancy group in India and several other low- and middle-income countries. Currently, majority of the patients present in advanced stage where systemic therapy is standard of care. Multiple relapses are also not uncommon. Almost all HNSCC tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression, making an attractive target. Cetuximab is the most successful method to target EGFR in HNSCC. After decades of its use, it still is a prominent part of the current management guidelines. Since other agents have also been proven to be useful, we felt it was necessary to develop a real-world consensus guideline to help the decision-making process among the community oncologists. Our expert committee therefore put together currently available data, insights from their real-world clinical practice, and voted to arrive at a consensus. These consensus guidelines represent how cetuximab should be used today in the management of HNSCC.