title: Cetuximab in patients with esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: Esophageal cancer is one cause of the most common cancer death and diagnosed in approximately half a million people annually worldwide, as well as has resulted in worse status, which is responsible for an estimated 482,300 new cases and 406,800 deaths in 2008, and is the fifth highest in the mortality rate among tumor sites. Esophageal cancer mainly occurred in southern and eastern Africa, eastern Asia and some areas of China. The results of meta-analysis suggested that survival rate can be improved [relative risk (RR) 1.6; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.17-2.18]; objective response rate (RR 1.47; 95 % CI 1.05-2.06) and disease control rate (RR 1.21; 95 % CI 1.03-1.43) in combination group are superior to that of the control group; however, the higher incidence of acne-like rash was caused (RR 9.03; 95 % CI 1.64-49.63) . Moreover, collated differences in overall survival rate and progression-free survival remained the most common grade 3/4/5 toxicities, and quality of life after intervention revealed no evidence of a difference between the two groups. With the present evidence, there is no role for cetuximab combined with standard approaches for esophageal cancer.
authors: Graduate College, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Tian
authors: Jian-Guo
authors: JG
authors: Zhou
authors: Zi
authors: Z
authors: Zeng
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Shuai
authors: Li-Juan
authors: LJ
authors: Yi
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Ma
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Cao
authors: Guo-Min
authors: GM
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068818:Cetuximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068818:Cetuximab