Phase II Study of Erlotinib in Patients With Advanced Biliary Cancer
Philip A. Philip, Michelle R. Mahoney, Cristine Allmer, James Thomas, Henry C. Pitot, George Kim, Ross C. Donehower, Tom Fitch, Joel Picus and Charles Erlichman
+ Author Affiliations
From the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI; University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC; Bunting Blaustein Cancer Research Bldg, Baltimore, MD; Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL; Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ; Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO; and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Address reprint requests to Philip Agop Philip, MD, PhD, Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4-HWCRC, 4100 John R St, Detroit, MI 48201; e-mail: philipp@karmanos.org
Abstract
Purpose Epidermal growth factor receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 and ligand expression is common in biliary cancers (BILI) and may be associated with worse outcome. The primary objective of this study was to determine the proportion of patients with advanced BILI who were progression-free at 6 months.
Methods Patients with either unresectable or metastatic disease were studied. Only one prior systemic or locoregional therapy was allowed. Erlotinib was administered continuously at a dose of 150 mg per day orally.
Results Forty-two patients with BILI were enrolled. The median age was 67 years (range, 33 to 82 years). Fifty-two percent of patients had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1. Fifty-seven percent of patients had received prior chemotherapy for advanced BILI. HER1/EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry in tumor cells was detected in 29 (81%) of the 36 assessable patients. Seven of the patients (17%; 95% CI, 7% to 31%) were progression free at 6 months. Three patients had partial response by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Group classification of duration 4, 4, and 14 months, respectively. All responding patients had mild (grade 1/2) skin rash and two patients had positive tumoral HER1/EGFR expression. Three patients (7%) had toxicity-related dose reductions of erlotinib due to grade 2/3 skin rash.
Conclusion Results suggest a therapeutic benefit for EGFR blockade with erlotinib in patients with biliary cancer. Additional studies with erlotinib as a single agent and in combination with other targeted agents are warranted in this disease.
Footnotes
Supported by Grant No. NO-1 CM17104 from the National Cancer Institute.
Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest and author contributions are found at the end of this article.
Received December 22, 2005.
Accepted April 7, 2006. |