Volume 3, Number 10, Supplement 4 (October 2006)

Community Translations

3

New treatment options for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

With approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in September, panitumumab will emerge as yet another option available to community oncologists for treating patients with advanced, refractory colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Panitumumab’s antitumor activity stems from its ability to target and interfere with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. The drug is potentially interchangeable with cetuximab in chemotherapeutic regimens. But integrating panitumumab into existing treatment strategies for advanced CRC will present a challenge for community oncologists, as the drug’s best application in this disease setting is not yet clear. This article sets the stage for the supplement, first providing a summary of EGFR-targeted therapies, a description that contrasts cetuximab with panitumumab, and a discussion of the pivotal clinical trials of panitumumab in CRC.

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10

Defining the role of panitumumab in colorectal cancer

Axel Grothey, MD

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Panitumumab is the first fully human anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody available for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. The drug appears to be well tolerated and has demonstrated antitumor activity and clinical benefit both as a single agent and in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy.

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15

The potential impact of targeted therapies on community practice

Stephen L. Davidson, MD

Montgomery Cancer Center, Montgomery, AL

Renato LaRocca, MD

Kentuckiana Cancer Institute, Louisville, KY

Tracy Stewart, RN, BSN, OCN^®, CCRC

The West Clinic, Memphis, TN

How will the availability of panitumumab change the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in the community oncology setting? To find out, Community Oncology asked two physicians and a nurse how many patients and in which settings they have treated with panitumumab, whether they use cetuximab outside of clinical trials and in which setting, which schedule they have used for panitumumab administration, and whether they have observed infusion reactions.

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Supported by Amgen

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