Genomic Correlate of Exceptional Erlotinib Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Randomized clinical trials demonstrate no benefit for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors in unselected patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, a patient with stage IVA HNSCC received 13 days of neoadjuvant erlotinib and experienced a near-complete histologic response.

Objective

To determine a mechanism of exceptional response to erlotinib therapy in HNSCC.

Design, setting, and participants

Single patient with locally advanced HNSCC who received erlotinib monotherapy in a window-of-opportunity clinical trial (patients scheduled to undergo primary cancer surgery are treated briefly with an investigational agent). Whole-exome sequencing of pretreatment tumor and germline patient samples was performe

SUBMITTER: Van Allen EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4557203 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature