Efficacy of Biological Therapies for the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma
NC Tebbutt
Hong Kong J Radiol 2011;14(Suppl):S37-45
Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies in the world. In Hong Kong, colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer and accounted for 16% of all new cancer cases in 2008. Despite recent advances in therapy, the prognosis of such patients remains poor. The introduction of novel targeted therapies that inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (e.g. bevacizumab) and epidermal growth factor receptor (e.g. cetuximab and panitumumab) have revolutionised the management of metastatic colorectal cancer. The identification of biomarkers associated with disease management, including KRAS and BRAF mutations, is changing the colorectal cancer treatment paradigm. Clinical and molecular predictors of response can help identify patients who could benefit from targeted therapies. This article reviews the evidence for the use of these novel biological agents in metastatic colorectal cancer, as well as the role of biological markers in the selection of appropriate therapies for the treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer.
中文摘要
生物療法對於治療轉移性大腸直腸癌的效用
NC Tebbutt
大腸直腸癌是現今全世界最常見的惡性腫瘤之一。在香港，大腸直腸癌亦是第二種最常見的惡性腫 瘤，2008年新診斷的癌症個案中便有16.4%屬大腸直腸癌。可惜，儘管治療方法有進步，但轉移性大 腸直腸癌患者的預後仍然很差。最新的標靶療法抑制血管內皮生長因子（如bevacizumab）和表皮生 長因子受體（如cetuximab及panitumumab），對醫治轉移性大腸直腸癌來說是一項革命性的發展。與 病情處理有關的生物標記，包括KRAS及BRAF基因突變，正改變大腸直腸癌的治療模式。臨床及分 子預測指標有助確定哪些病人可以受惠於標靶療法。本文回顧使用生物制劑在轉移性大腸直腸癌的 實證，以及生物標記在轉移性大腸直腸癌患者中選擇適合療法的角色。