Resistance to Cetoximab-implications for patients with colorectal cancer

Targeted or “designer” therapy for colorectal cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. patients has evolved over the last decade largely driven by better understanding of the behaviour of cancer cells and development of new drugs known as monoclonal antibodiesSpecial proteins in the blood that are produced in response to a specific antigen and play a key role in immunity and allergy..

Cetoximab (Erbitax) is one such agent that can be used in combination with other chemotherapyThe use of chemical substances to treat disease, particularly cancer. drugs resulting in improved survival rates for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, not all patients with advanced disease benefit from Cetoximab, given that some may suffer disease progression after demonstrating initial good response to the drug. This is known as resistanceThe ability of a microbe, such as a type of bacteria, to resist the effects of antibiotics or other drugs. and can occur because cancer cells have the unique ability to modify or alter their physical or chemical characteristics that otherwise would have been vulnerable to destruction by Cetoximab.

The recent findings by researchers that all patients will ultimately develop resistance to Cetoximab is ground breaking research with the following implications for patients with colorectal cancer:

1. We now have a clearer understanding why some patients suffer disease progression despite earlier good response to Cetoximab
2. The identification of the substitute proteinCompounds that form the structure of muscles and other tissues in the body, as well as comprising enzymes and hormones. ERBB2 has led to the formulation of new antagonist drugs to treat this form of resistance thereby offering the patient choice in cases where treatment options are often limited.
3. A greater number of patients with advanced disease will now have the opportunity to receive potentially life-saving drugs.

I suspect that our understanding of resistance to new cancer MAB agents like Cetoximab is the turning point of a new era of more effective targeted chemotherapy agents in the battle to prolong the lives of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.