title: EGFR Targeting in Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer: Current Appraisal and Prospects for Treatment.
abstract: The incidence of prostate cancer increases with age and because of its high prevalence this disease has become a major public health concern. Despite advances in our understanding of the biological mechanisms responsible for the development of this cancer, the transition to the hormone refractory stage (HRPC) and metastatic progression pose real problems of clinical management. Currently, docetaxel chemotherapy has been shown to have a slight but significant impact on survival, though the gain in median survival is still less than three months. Research is therefore continuing to improve treatment outcomes. The progression of prostate cancer is accompanied by the overexpression of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) in a very large majority of cases, suggesting that this may play a mechanistic role. Unfortunately, although preclinical findings seem to be promising for therapies targeting the EGFR in HRPC, current clinical results are disappointing. These results should however encourage us to look for different ways of using anti-EGFR agents or combining them with other targeted therapies.
authors.affiliation: Oncopharmacology Unit, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Ave Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France. guerin.o@chu-nice.fr.|Department of Gerontology, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital de Cimiez, 4 Ave Reine Victoria, 06000 Nice, France. guerin.o@chu-nice.fr.|University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France. guerin.o@chu-nice.fr.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guérin
authors.affiliation: Oncopharmacology Unit, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Ave Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Jean Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fischel
authors.affiliation: Oncopharmacology Unit, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Ave Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France.|University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.affiliation: Oncopharmacology Unit, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Ave Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozec
authors.affiliation: Oncopharmacology Unit, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Ave Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milano
keywords: EGFR; chemotherapy; geriatric oncology; hormone-resistant prostate cancer; kinase inhibitors; prostate cancer; targeted therapy