title: Correlation between efficacy and skin rash occurrence following treatment with the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab: a single institution retrospective analysis.
abstract: Several trials show a relationship between skin toxicity, response rate, and overall survival in cetuximab-treated patients. We analyzed our database to evaluate the importance of skin rash as a surrogate marker of favorable outcome in cancer patients referred to our institution in the last three years. We retrospectively analyzed 90 cetuximab-treated patients: 57 colon cancer patients, 10 NSCLC patients, 14 locally advanced esophageal cancer patients, and 9 miscellaneous. A significant correlation was observed between skin rash and response to therapy. Skin rash was experienced by 93% of PR and 100% of CR patients. The mean TTP was 184 days in patients showing skin rash and 94 days in patients without skin rash, respectively. On multivariate analysis, skin rash was demonstrated to be the only independent prognostic variable with regard to TTP. Patients who did not develop skin rash had a 2-fold greater likelihood to manifest tumor progression significantly earlier than patients who developed skin rash. In our series, a statistically significant correlation between rash, response rate, and TTP was demonstrated in 90 cetuximab-treated patients. Skin toxicity was confirmed as the only clinical variable able to predict the response to cetuximab.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, F. Magrassi - A. Lanzara Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples School of Medicine, c/o II Policlinico, 80131 Naples, Italy. michele.orditura@unina2.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orditura
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Vita
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galizia
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lieto
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vecchione
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitiello
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciardiello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068818:Cetuximab; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000068818:Cetuximab