Medical Health Encyclopedia

Cetuximab. Cetuximab (Erbitux) was approved in February 2004 for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. This monoclonal antibody drug targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a protein required by cancer cells in order to proliferate. It can be used either in combination with irinotecan, or alone for patients who have not responded to irinotecan. Clinical research demonstrated that combination treatment delayed tumor growth by 4 months. For patients who received only cetuximab, tumor growth was delayed by 1.5 months.

Oxaliplatin. Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) received a new indication approval in January 2004 as a first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. The drug is used in combination with 5-FU and leucovorin (LV). In data submitted for the approval process, patients who received oxaliplatin in combination with 5-FU and LV survived an average of nearly 5 months longer than patients who received only 5-FU and LV.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Side effects occur with all chemotherapeutic drugs; they are more severe with higher doses and increase over the course of treatment. Because cancer cells grow and divide rapidly, anticancer drugs work by killing fast-growing cells. This means that healthy cells that multiply quickly can also be affected. The fast-growing normal cells most likely to be affected are blood cells forming in the bone marrow, and cells in the digestive tract, reproductive system, and hair follicles.

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Side effects vary specifically with different drugs, but, in general, they include the following:

• Nausea and vomiting. Drugs are available to significantly reduce these dreaded side effects. Serotonin antagonists, especially ondansetron (Zofran), can relieve these side effects in nearly all patients given moderate drugs and most patients who take more powerful drugs. In one study, a combination of dexamethasone (a corticosteroid) with ondansetron taken within 24 hours of chemotherapy achieved either a major or complete reduction in nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea (very common with 5-FU).
• Temporary hair loss (usually minimal with 5-FU).
• Weight loss.
• Mouth ulcers.
• Pain and redness of the hands and feet.
• Fatigue.
• Anemia.
• Depression.