Cetuximab in preoperative treatment of rectal cancer - term outcome of the XERT trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preoperative capecitabine-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is feasible for the treatment of resectable locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). To try to improve efficacy, we conducted a phase II study in which the epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting monoclonal antibody cetuximab was added to capecitabine-based CRT. The results for long-term survival and for an analysis investigating the relationship between survival and patient and disease characteristics, including tumour KRAS mutation status, and surgery type, are presented. PATIENTS AND METHODS.: Patients with resectable LARC received capecitabine (1250 mg/m(2) twice daily, orally) for 2 weeks followed by cetuximab alone (400 mg/m(2) for 1 week) and then with CRT (250 mg/m(2)/week) comprising capecitabine (825 mg/

SUBMITTER: Velenik V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3472951 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature