title: Cetuximab plus FOLFOX for Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer with Poor Performance Status and/or Severe Tumor-Related Complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cetuximab-based chemotherapy showed a statistically significantly higher response rate compared with chemotherapy such as FOLFOX. Therefore, FOLFOX plus cetuximab is suspected to be the best regimen to alleviate tumor-related symptoms with a high response rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we present the results of 8 consecutive patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with poor performance status and/or severe complications who were treated with first-line FOLFOX with cetuximab. Six of 8 patients achieved an apparent clinical benefit, including radiological response and symptoms improvement. Two patients with BRAF mutation could achieve neither clinical benefit nor radiological response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although an optimal line of therapy with cetuximab is unclear yet with bevacizumab in mind, we propose that patients who need a tumor response to alleviate their symptoms due to advanced disease might be candidates for first-line cetuximab-based therapy as shown in our cases. Additionally, patients with BRAF mutant tumors might be important candidates for novel targeted therapy in the future to improve their poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shitara
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Takahari
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Yozo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tajika
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muro