Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma responding serially to single-agent cetuximab

Abstract

Cetuximab (Erbitux) is a recombinant, chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to the extracellular ligand-binding domain of human epidermal growth factor receptor. We report a case of repeated responses to cetuximab in a patient with nonresectable squamous cell skin cancer having strong human epidermal growth factor receptor expression. Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, with more than 1 million new cases detected annually, of which 20-25% are squamous cell carcinomas. Although most primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas have a high clinical cure rate and are easily treated, the small subset of cancers that recur or metastasize has a poor prognosis, and accounts for approximately 2000 deaths per year. Treatment with cetuximab should be considered for human epidermal growth factor receptor expressing tumors in a palliative setting.