The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) present in normal and tumor cells is involved in signaling pathways affecting cellular growth, differentiation, proliferation and programmed cell death. Overexpression of EGFR has been associated with poorer prognosis in colorectal cancer. Cetuximab targets and blocks EGFR and has been shown to be safe and effective in treating colorectal cancer and head and neck cancers.
The primary hypothesis is that cetuximab in combination with standard 5-FU and radiation as neoadjuvant therapy would improve pathological complete response (pCR) compared to the historical rate (30% versus 10%). The regimen would be considered promising if 5 or more of 25 evaluable participants achieve pCR. The probability of observing this outcome is 0.91 and 0.10 if the true pCR rate is 30% and 10%, respectively.
