Anti-EGFR strategies as an incremental step for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients: moving from scientific evidence to clinical practice.

摘要: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a 170,000 Da transmembrane glycoprotein involved in signalling pathways affecting cellular growth, differentiation and proliferation. An abnormal overexpression of the EGFR has been described many human tumours implicated development prognosis malignancies, thus representing not only possible prognostic marker, but primarily rational molecular target for new class anticancer agents. Several clinical trials have reported with use EGFR-targeted monoclonal antibodies tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mainly combination chemotherapy advanced colorectal cancer patients. Taken together, results available so far suggest that anti-EGFR treatment strategies represent an incremental step cencer patients manageable acceptable toxicity profile. Nevertheless, critical issues are yet unresolved, such as optimal regimen to combine most adequate setting. Moreover, biological selection likely benefit from this approach still be defined.