title: Endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors in recurrent metastatic cancer of the head and neck.
abstract: Targeted therapy has become an important new class of therapeutic agents used in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Among them epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have been studied the most. Today, two classes of EGFR inhibitors are routinely used in the clinic; anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors of the EGFR tyrosine kinase activity. These agents have been used clinically in the recurrent metastatic (R/M) settings but only cetuximab has reached a regulatory approval. Current research is focused on innovative compound design, predictive biomarker discovery, and combination strategies in order to overcome resistance. Efforts should also be focused on endpoints other than overall survival, which is the current gold standard, such as surrogate endpoints. This article summarizes the clinical evidence of the anticancer activity of EGFR inhibitors in patients with R/M SCCHN, and analyzes the current, controversial clinical issues with respect to their interpretation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2221-E2228, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Misiukiewicz
authors.affiliation: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Rajan P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parides
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Camille
authors.affiliation: Lodz Medical University, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uczkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Exper. Medicine & Pharmacology Masters Program, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sarlis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Marshall
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Posner
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
keywords: cetuximab; endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR); head and neck cancer; panitumumab; squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)