The dogma of cetuximab in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of surgery and radiotherapy: is it true among patients in upper Egypt?

Background and aim

We aimed from the current study to explore the treatment results of cetuximab in combination with a weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel regimen in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) after failure of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Methods

This study was a non-randomised, single arm, phase 2 efficacy study conducted in two oncology centres in upper Egypt, we recruited 31 patients with recurrent HNSCC previously treated with concurrent chemoradiation ± surgery to receive weekly cetuximab, carboplatin and paclitaxel for 18 weeks followed by maintenance cetuximab every 2 weeks for 12 months. All patients underwent intention to treat analysis.

Results

The current study revealed a significant reduction of the size of recurrent primary lesion (

Conclusion

Based on favourable treatment outcomes, including high ORR and disease control rate, improved median PFS and tolerable toxicity profile, the current weekly cetuximab, carboplatin and paclitaxel with 1 year maintenance cetuximab in responding patients is considered a feasible and effective regimen.

Informations de copyright

© the authors; licensee ecancermedicalscience.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declared that there were no financial or non-financial competing interests with this work.