Dr. Cohen on Biomarkers Associated With Response in Patients With HNSCC Treated With Afatinib

Ezra Cohen, MD, associate director, Moores Cancer Center,professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Health System, discusses tumor biomarker association with clinical outcomes in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with afatinib versus methotrexate.

In a biomarker analysis of the LUX-Head and Neck 1 study, researchers sought to determine which patients, whether HPV-positive or HPV-negative, are more likely to benefit from treatment with afatinib versus methotrexate, which is the standard of care, Cohen explains.

In patients who were p16-negative, the response rate with afatinib was approximately 14%; there were almost no responses with methotrexate in this subgroup, Cohen says. Secondly, patients with EGFR amplification had a higher benefit with afatinib. High levels of P10 and low levels of HER3 also served as biomarkers for patients who respond postiviely to afatinib, he adds.

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