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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2007; 13(44): 5877-5887
Published online Nov 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i44.5877
Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in colorectal cancer treatment: What’s new?
M Ponz-Sarvisé, J Rodríguez, A Viudez, A Chopitea, A Calvo, J García-Foncillas, I Gil-Bazo
M Ponz-Sarvisé, J Rodríguez, A Viudez, A Chopitea, J García-Foncillas, I Gil-Bazo, Oncology Department, Clínica Universitaria, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain
A Calvo, J García-Foncillas, I Gil-Bazo, Division of Oncology, CIMA, Spain
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Ignacio Gil-Bazo, MD, PhD, Department of Oncology, University Clinic, University of Navarra, Pio XII, 36, Pamplona 31008, Spain. igbazo@unav.es
Telephone: +34-948-255400 Fax: +34-948-255400
Received: July 13, 2007
Revised: August 1, 2007
Accepted: October 22, 2007
Published online: November 28, 2007
Abstract

Colorectal cancer constitutes one of the most common malignancies and the second leading cause of death from cancer in the western world representing one million new cases and half a million deaths annually worldwide. The treatment of patients with metastatic colon cancer comprises different regimens of chemotherapeutic compounds (fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan and oxaliplatin) and new targeted therapies. Interestingly, most recent trials that attempt to expose patients to all five-drug classes (fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, bevacizumab and cetuximab) achieve an overall survival well over 2 years. In this review we will focus on the main epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors demonstrating clinical benefit for colorectal cancer mainly cetuximab, panitumumab, erlotinib and gefitinib. We will also describe briefly the molecular steps that lie beneath them and the different clinical or molecular mechanisms that are reported for resistance and response.

Keywords: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors; Cetuximab; Panitumumab; Erlotinib; Gefitinib; Metastatic colorectal cancer; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors; Monoclonal antibodies