Phase II trial of cetuximab in the treatment of persistent or recurrent squamous or non-squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: A Gynecologic Oncology Group study

PurposeThe Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) conducted a phase II trial to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab, in persistent or recurrent carcinoma of the cervix.Patients and methodsEligible patients had cervical cancer, measurable disease, and GOG performance status ≤ 2. Treatment consisted of cetuximab 400 mg/m2 initial dose followed by 250 mg/m2 weekly until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months and response. The study used a 2-stage group sequential design.ResultsThirty-eight patients were entered with 3 exclusions, leaving 35 evaluable for analysis. Thirty-one patients (88.6%) received prior radiation as well as either 1 (n = 25, 71.4%) or 2 (n = 10) prior cytotoxic regimens. Twenty-four patients (68.6%) had a squamous cell carcinoma. Grade 3 adverse events possibly related to cetuximab included dermatologic (n = 5), GI (n = 4), anemia (n = 2), constitutional (n = 3), infection (n = 2), vascular (n = 2), pain (n = 2), and pulmonary, neurological, vomiting and metabolic (n = 1 each). No clinical responses were detected. Five patients (14.3%; two-sided 90% CI, 5.8% to 30%) survived without progression for at least 6 months. The median PFS and overall survival (OS) times were 1.97 and 6.7 months, respectively. In this study, all patients with PFS at 6 months harbored tumors with squamous cell histology.ConclusionCetuximab is well tolerated but has limited activity in this population. Cetuximab activity may be limited to patients with squamous cell histology.

Research highlights
► The GOG evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of cetuximab in cervical cancer.
► Cetuximab is well tolerated but has limited activity in persistent/recurrent disease.
► Cetuximab activity may be limited to cervical cancer with squamous cell histology.