Dr. Ciombor on Anti-EGFR Therapy in Metastatic CRC

Kristen K. Ciombor, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the use of anti-EGFR therapy for the frontline treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Multiple studies have examined how to incorporate these agents into the first-line setting for patients with RAS-mutant or wild-type disease, according to Ciombor. The phase 3 CALGB/SWOG 80405 trial (NCT00265850) examined cetuximab (Erbitux) and/or bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic CRC, and the phase 2 DEEPER study (NCT02515734) evaluated the combination FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab vs FOLFOXIRI and bevacizumab in those with RAS wild-type disease.

The primary end point of DEEPER was depth of response, Ciombor notes. Results showed that patients in the cetuximab arm of the trial experienced deeper responses than those in the bevacizumab arm; however, it is still unknown how this information translates to overall survival and other important end points, Ciombor concludes.