Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab first-line for Asian patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Results of an open-label, single-arm, multicenter trial.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of cisplatin-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab as first-line treatment in Chinese and Korean patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Methods: Patients (n = 68) received cetuximab weekly plus 3-week cycles of cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy for up to 6 cycles. The primary endpoint was overall response rate.

Results: The overall response rate was 55.9%, including 2 complete responses (CRs). Median overall survival (OS) was 12.6 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.6 months. Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 41 (60.3%) patients. The safety profile was in line with previous clinical experience. The pharmacokinetic profile was in line with that observed with cetuximab in white and Japanese patients.

Conclusion: The efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic findings from this study support the use of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in Chinese and Korean patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01177956).