Role of Cetuximab Re-introduction and Re-challenge in Later Lines of Treatment in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Case Series

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-largest cancer in the world and has the second-highest mortality rate, characterized by poor prognosis and high metastasis. The early symptoms of CRC are mostly inconspicuous and it is usually diagnosed in the advanced stages. Nearly half of the patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are inoperable and have high chances of recurrence and metastasis. Combination therapy with cetuximab and chemotherapy is considered the first-line treatment for mCRC. In patients with Kirsten RAt Sarcoma wild-type mCRC, re-challenge and maintenance therapy with cetuximab was found to be beneficial. However, the disease progression is inevitable. This paper discusses three different cases of metastatic adenocarcinoma in the colon and rectum treated with the re-introduction and re-challenge of cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy. The treatment was found to be effective in treating mCRC in later lines of therapy where treatment options are scarce.