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Reduced incidence of infusion‐related reactions in metastatic colorectal cancer during treatment with cetuximab plus irinotecan with combined corticosteroid and antihistamine premedication
Author(s) -
Siena Salvatore,
GlynneJones Robert,
Adenis Antoine,
Thaler Josef,
Preusser Peter,
Aguilar Enrique Aranda,
Aapro Matti S.,
Loos Anja H.,
Esser Regina,
Wilke Hansjochen
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.24945
Subject(s) - medicine , antihistamine , premedication , irinotecan , cetuximab , colorectal cancer , post hoc analysis , regimen , incidence (geometry) , anesthesia , cancer , oncology , physics , optics
BACKGROUND: The multinational MABEL study of 1147 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who had recently failed an irinotecan‐containing regimen confirmed in a community practice setting the efficacy and safety of cetuximab combined with irinotecan. METHODS: This report describes a post hoc analysis of the influence of prophylactic premedication on the incidence of infusion‐related reactions (IRRs) in the MABEL study. The analysis was focused on the subpopulation of patients premedicated with antihistamines either with (n = 700) or without (n = 422) corticosteroids. Stepwise Cox regression modeling was used to examine the explanatory value of the type of premedication on progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times. RESULTS: The incidence of IRRs was lower in the group of patients who received antihistamine plus corticosteroid (9.6%) compared with those who received antihistamine alone (25.6%). A similar trend was seen for grade 3 or 4 IRRs (1.0% vs 4.7%, respectively). The 12‐week PFS rates (61% vs 60%), median PFS (16.1 vs 13.1 weeks) and OS (9.2 vs 9.0 months) times for patients who received, respectively, antihistamines with and without corticosteroids were similar. Cox regression modeling did not identify any impact of type of premedication used (antihistamine with or without corticosteroids) on the efficacy of treatment in relation to PFS or OS. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactically premedicating mCRC patients with both antihistamine and a corticosteroid appeared to reduce the frequency of cetuximab‐associated IRRs. Given that this was a post hoc analysis, caution must be exercised in the interpretation of these data, which require formal confirmation in a randomized study. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.