title: Cetuximab is an active treatment of metastatic and chemorefractory thymoma.
abstract: Advanced chemorefractory thymic epithelial tumors still represent a challenge in clinical oncology. A rationale-based therapeutic approach targeting a key pathway should represent the ideal solution in a neoplasm that can over-express Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in the epithelial component. On the basis of these considerations, two patients with metastatic heavily pretreated disease were evaluated for EGFR expression in the primitive tumor, being considered this data as a basis for an anti EGFR treatment with the monoclonal antibody cetuximab which targets EGFR. A strong EGFR expression was revealed by immunohistochemistry in the two cases considered, thus the patients received cetuximab and reported a partial response as assessed by Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and fused PET-CT after three months of therapy. Therefore, both patients are still on therapy. This preliminary experience suggests that cetuximab may be a useful therapeutic choice in advanced pre-treated thymic tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovannella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budillon
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caraglia
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068818:Cetuximab; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000068818:Cetuximab