Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 6 , Pages 292-299, June 2010

Cetuximab-based Therapy in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Experience From an Area in Which Betel Nut Chewing Is Popular

  • Peter Mu-Hsin Chang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Yao-Yu Hsieh

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Ming-Huang Chen

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Cheng-Hwai Tzeng

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Pen-Yuan Chu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Shyue-Yih Chang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Po-Min Chen

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Muh-Hwa Yang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Muh-Hwa Yang, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Peitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 30 December 2009; accepted 31 May 2010.

Article Outline

Background

This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab-based therapy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in an area in which betel nut chewing is popular.

Methods

Twenty-five patients were enrolled in the study from 2004 to 2008, of whom 13 received first-line cetuximab plus chemotherapy and 12 received second-line cetuximab with or without chemotherapy after the failure of cisplatin.

Results

In the first-line chemotherapy group, the overall response [complete response (CR) plus partial response (PR)] was 54% and disease control rate [CR + PR + stable disease (SD)] was 62%. In the cisplatin-failure therapy group, the overall response was 16.7% and disease control rate was 50%. Median overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) in the first-line chemotherapy group were 857 days and 147 days, respectively. In the cisplatin-failure therapy group, median OS and TTP were 371 days and 136 days, respectively. The most common grade 3/4 toxicity in both groups of patients was infection/fever (23% in the first-line group, 50% in the cisplatin-failure group), followed by neutropenia (23% in the first-line group, 25% in the cisplatin-failure group).

Conclusion

Cetuximab-based therapy is an effective and safe treatment choice for recurrent/metastatic HNSCC in areas where betel nut chewing is popular.

Key Words:  betel nut , cetuximab , head and neck cancer , taxane

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PII: S1726-4901(10)70064-2

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(10)70064-2

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 73, Issue 6 , Pages 292-299, June 2010

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