학술논문

Exceptional response to cetuximab monotherapy in a patient with metastatic oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a molecular insight.
Document Type
Article
Source
OncoTargets & Therapy. Feb2016, Vol. 9, p705-708. 4p.
Subject
*CETUXIMAB
*MONOCLONAL antibodies
*SQUAMOUS cell carcinoma
*CANCER treatment
*BIOMARKERS
*PHARYNGEAL cancer
*METASTASIS
Language
ISSN
1178-6930
Abstract
Background: Metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) carries a very poor prognosis. A better understanding of the molecular driver of the disease and the identification of biomarkers of response remain paramount for an effective personalized therapy. Case report: We report an original case of a 56-year-old patient diagnosed with metastatic HNSCC to both kidneys, who experienced a long-lasting complete response to a single-agent cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody-targeting EGFR. Comprehensive multiplatform biomarker analysis of the tumor revealed the presence of phosphatidyl-inositol 3 kinase mutation, EGFR overexpression, and the absence of PD-1/PD-L1 expression. Since PI3K, a downstream effector of EGFR, is activated, the tumor regression may have occurred mainly through a cetuximabinduced immune-mediated response, rather than EGFR signal blockade. It is plausible that this effect was enhanced by the lack of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression. Conclusion: Our case proposes that the absence of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in conjunction with EGFR overexpression may correlate with better response to cetuximab in HNSCC. This hypothesis needs to be examined through a large clinical trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]