Could Erbitux Provide an Edge?
Erbitux (cetuximab) is already approved to treat advanced colorectal cancer. But could it, when used with radiation and standard chemotherapy drugs, have similar success against pancreatic cancer? UAB may soon know, following a phase-1 trial of Erbitux as a therapy targeting pancreatic cancer. The National Cancer Institute chose UAB as the sole site for the research initiative. “The study is completed and was done in locally advanced pancreatic cancer,” says Dr. Posey, M.D. He explains that Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody, which is produced in the lab to attack cancer cells much like your own antibodies fight common viruses. The trial was an early study to determine the best ways to combine Erbitux, radiation, and chemotherapy—and to measure the effectiveness of the treatment against pancreatic cancer. Further studies and monitoring of patients will tell whether Erbitux could be the edge that doctors are looking for against pancreatic cancer.
