Tarceva for esophageal cancer – pro
Erlotinib has shown activity individually, as single drugs, or in combination with chemotherapy in upper gastro-intestinal cancers, including esophageal and gastro-esophageal adenocarcinomas, gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. In several recent phase 2 trials,erlotinib appears to be somewhat active in esophageal cancer and not very active in gastric cancer. The authors conclude that additional studies with erlotinib as a single agent and in combination with other targeted agents are warranted in this disease. Several such studies are in fact listed on the clinicaltrials.gov will be website. Tarceva is not listed by NCCN for esophageal cancer.
Tomislav Dragovich, Sheryl McCoy, Cecilia M. Fenoglio-Preiser, Jiang Wang, Jacqueline K. Benedetti, Amanda F. Baker, Christopher B. Hackett, Susan G. Urba, Ken Phase II Trial of Erlotinib in Gastroesophageal Junction and Gastric Adenocarcinomas: SWOG 0127
JCO October 20, 2006 vol. 24 no. 30 4922-4927
Dragovich T, Huberman M, Von Hoff DD, Rowinsky EK, Nadler P, Wood D, Hamilton M, Hage G, Wolf J, Patnaik A. Erlotinib plus gemcitabine in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors: phase IB trial. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2007 Jul;60(2):295-303. Epub 2006 Dec 6.
Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers
J Natl Compr Canc Netw Aug 1, 2011:830-887