SICUREZZA ED EFFICACIA DEL CETUXIMAB NEL TRATTAMENTO DEI PAZIENTI ANZIANI CON CARCINOMA SQUAMOSO DEL DISTRETTO TESTA-COLLO (HNC)
R. Addeo, F. Ricciardiello, S. Mazzone
Vol.1 (2017), issue 3, pag. 24-30
SICUREZZA ED EFFICACIA DEL CETUXIMAB NEL TRATTAMENTO DEI PAZIENTI ANZIANI CON CARCINOMA SQUAMOSO DEL DISTRETTO TESTA-COLLO (HNC)
R. Addeo, F. Ricciardiello, S. Mazzone
Vol.1 (2017), issue 3, pag. 24-30
| Received | 20/09/2016 |
| Accepted for pubblication | 04/11/2016 |
| Published | Oct. 2017 |
| Review by | Single-blind |
The Head and Neck cancer (HNC) are the sixth most common malignant tumor with an incidence of about 6% of new cancer cases every year worldwide. The onset of HNC in patients over 65 years of age at diagnosis is increasingly common, in relation constant increase in life expectancy, the cancer occurs in older patients (> 70 years of age ) is found in a quarter of cases. Elderly patients are clearly underrepresented in clinical trials; for this reason there is a clear need to address the particular aspects of this speci c group of patients, particularly in the context of new multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches. The fragility of elderly patients with HNC is attributed not only to the high incidence of smoking and alcohol typical of this group of tumors but also by the very frequent presence of cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic comorbidities. The multidisciplinary treatment is the central point in the management of patients with HNC. Among the several treatment options available there is also Cetuximab, an IgG1 monoclonal antibody against the ligand domain of EGFR, which can enhance the cytotoxic effects of radiation in squamous cell carcinoma. In this article we analyze the available data and the prospects for the use of Erbitux in elderly patients with HNC.