Cetuximab Helpful in Irinotecan-Resistant Colon Cancer

"Cetuximab is effective for irinotecan-resistant colon cancer alone or in combination with irinotecan, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the July 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 'The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which participates in signaling pathways that are deregulated in cancer cells, commonly appears on colorectal-cancer cells,' write David Cunningham, MD, from Royal Marsden Hospital in London and Surrey, U.K., and colleagues. 'Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks the EGFR. We compared the efficacy of cetuximab in combination with irinotecan with that of cetuximab alone in metastatic colorectal cancer that was refractory to treatment with irinotecan.'"