title: Safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab in combination with radiotherapy for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated nimotuzumab (h-R3), a humanized monoclonal antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor, when combined with irradiation or chemoradiation for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus. The aim of this study was to evaluate its safety and efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 66 patients with esophageal SCC treated with a combination of h-R3 and radiation or chemoradiation between December 2008 and September 2011 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Fifty-two of the 66 patients received h-R3 combined with chemoradiation and 14 received h-R3 plus radiation. The median total irradiation dose was 61 Gy given by conventional fractionation. The h-R3 weekly dosage was 100 mg (6/66), 200 mg (54/66), or 400 mg (6/66) given concurrently during the irradiation period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients tolerated the treatment well. Grade 3-4 adverse events and toxicities occurred in 50 % of the patients. h-R3-related toxicities manifested as Grade 1 skin rash in 1 case and Grade 2 infusion-related reaction in 2 cases. The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 26.0 months and 16.7 months, respectively. OS, PFS and locoregional control (LC) at 2 years were 54, 37 and 80 %, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  h-R3 in combination with irradiation or chemoradiation was safe and tolerable, and yielded encouraging OS, PFS and LC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dongan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Ning-Yi
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xu-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiang-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xi-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jia-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Ya-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hai-Quan
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Song-Tao
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Guo-Liang
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Kuai-Le
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C501466:nimotuzumab