The progress of targeted therapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

Multi-disciplinary modality treatment is the optimal therapeutic strategy for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). Recently, molecular targeted agents have been tested in this setting. Epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the major therapeutic target because of its universally high expression in SCCHN. As a human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody, cetuximab is the only molecular targeted agent approved in SCCHN. As compared with radiotherapy alone, radiotherapy in combination with cetuximab was proved to improve progression-free and overall survival in patients with locally advanced SCCHN. However, randomized comparison between radiotherapy plus cetuximab and conventional concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is limited in term of efficacy and toxicity. Although RTOG 0522 study demonstrated it is ineffective to combine cetuximab with CCRT, the optimal chemotherapy agent partner with cetuximab warrants further investigation. For other anti-EGFR inhibitors, how to wisely design pertinent clinical studies based on available evidence is the key for success.