OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy in patients with advanced penile or scrotal cancer.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients with penile or scrotal squamous cell carcinoma who had visited our tertiary cancer center from 2002 through 2009, including their subsequent treatment and follow-up. We collected details of EGFR-targeted therapy and clinical outcomes. Treatment-associated time to disease progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), responses to therapy, and toxicity were evaluated.
RESULTS: Twenty-four patients had received EGFR-targeted therapies, including cetuximab, erlotinib, and gefitinib. The most common treatment given (67% of patients) was cetuximab combined with one or more cytotoxic drugs. The most common adverse effect was skin rash (71%); median TTP and OS were 11.3 weeks (1-40 weeks) and 29.6 weeks (2-205 weeks), respectively. OS for patients with visceral or bone metastases was significantly less than it was for those without (24.7 weeks vs. 49.9 weeks, P = .013). Among 17 patients treated with cetuximab alone or in combination with cisplatin, there were four partial responses (23.5%) including two patients with seemingly chemo-resistant tumor.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that cetuximab has antitumor activity in metastatic penile cancer, and may enhance the effect of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Prospective studies of EGFR-targeted therapies in men with these tumors are warranted.
Written by:
Carthon BC, Ng CS, Pettaway CA, Pagliaro LC. Are you the author?
Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Reference: BJU Int. 2013 Sep 5. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/bju.12450
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24053151
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