RESECTABILITY OF LIVER METASTASES AFTER TREATMENT WITH CETUXIMAB OR PANITUMUMAB

Int J Colorectal Dis. 2012 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Resectability and outcome with anti-EGFR agents in patients with KRAS wild-type colorectal liver-limited metastases: a meta-analysis.

Petrelli F, Barni S; Anti-EGFR agents for liver metastases.

Source

Medical Oncology Unit, Oncology department, Azienda Ospedaliera Treviglio Caravaggio, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 24047, Treviglio, BG, Italy, faupe@libero.it.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Cetuximab (C) and panitumumab (P) increase response rate and survival in KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We performed a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess their effect on overall response rate (ORR), the rate of radical resection (R0) and survival in patients with liver-limited initially unresectable mCRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for RCTs comparing first-line chemotherapy plus or minus C or P and reporting data in patients with KRAS wild-type, unresectable liver-limited mCRC. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence interval were calculated. Meta-analysis of hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free and overall survival (PFS and OS) was also performed.

RESULTS:

Four RCTs involving 484 KRAS wild-type patients were included. Compared to chemotherapy alone, the addition of C or P significantly increased the ORR (RR 1.67, p = 0.0001), the R0 resection rate from 11% to 18% (RR 1.59, p = 0.04) and PFS (HR 0.68, p = 0.002), but not OS (p = 0.42).

CONCLUSIONS:

The addition of C and P increased the R0 resection rate by 60% and reduced the risk of progression by 32% in patients with mCRC and unresectable liver-limited disease. This combination represents one of the preferred choices as conversion therapy in KRAS wild-type patients with unresectable liver metastases.