title: The epidermal growth factor receptors as biological targets in penile cancer.
abstract: Penile cancer is a rare disease, with an incidence that is higher in less developed countries and is in the range of 1 - 10 per 100000 men worldwide. Early diagnosis is essential for cure, as 5 year cancer-specific survival is 90 - 100 % in patients with intraepithelial neoplasms and in those with low-grade superficial tumors without lymphovascular invasion, but it drops to 30% in men with multiple mobile or bilateral inguinal lymph nodes. The EGFR family plays a major role in penile cancer biology, with distinct receptors being involved in HPV-positive and -negative tumors. A number of anti-EGFR agents were used in penile cancer patients outside the context of a clinical trial, mainly as a salvage treatment after failure of first-line chemotherapy. A total of 28 patients received anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, with 50% of them showing a response to treatment, and a median PFS of ∼ 3 months. The rarity of the disease poses great challenge in terms of education and awareness of the general population, planning of preventive measures on a large scale, as well as conduction of prospective trials and approval of high-cost biological therapy.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi Federico II, Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Molecolare e Clinica , Naples , Italy carbuone@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buonerba
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calderoni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozza
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tedesco
authors.forename: Vitalba
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aieta
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068818:Cetuximab; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010412:Penile Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000068818:Cetuximab
keywords: EGFR; cetuximab; panitumumab; penile cancer