Biomarkers in tissue from patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab

TY - JOUR

T1 - Biomarkers in tissue from patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab

AU - Rohrberg, Kristoffer Staal

AU - Pappot, Helle

AU - Lassen, Ulrik

AU - Westman, Maj

AU - Olesen, René K

AU - Pfeiffer, Per

AU - Ladekarl, Morten

AU - Mau-Sørensen, Paul Morten

AU - Christensen, Ib J

AU - Skov, Birgit G

PY - 2011/4/15

Y1 - 2011/4/15

N2 - Malignancies in the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract are amongst the most aggressive cancers and only few treatment options exist. We have recently analyzed data from a phase II trial where patients with UGI cancers were treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab.The combination therapy could not be recommended in an unselected population of patients with chemo-refractory UGI cancer. However, a subpopulation of patients did benefit from the therapy. In this prospectively planned biomarker study we investigated vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by immunohistochemistry and KRAS mutation status detected by PCR as potential predictors of effect of therapy. High VEGF-A expression was correlated to longer overall survival (HR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-0.9) and high VEGFR-2 expression to shorter progression free survival (HR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-1.9). EGFR expression and KRAS mutation status were not correlated to response or survival. We conclude that VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 could potentially be predictive markers in patients with UGI cancers treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab.

AB - Malignancies in the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract are amongst the most aggressive cancers and only few treatment options exist. We have recently analyzed data from a phase II trial where patients with UGI cancers were treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab.The combination therapy could not be recommended in an unselected population of patients with chemo-refractory UGI cancer. However, a subpopulation of patients did benefit from the therapy. In this prospectively planned biomarker study we investigated vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by immunohistochemistry and KRAS mutation status detected by PCR as potential predictors of effect of therapy. High VEGF-A expression was correlated to longer overall survival (HR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-0.9) and high VEGFR-2 expression to shorter progression free survival (HR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-1.9). EGFR expression and KRAS mutation status were not correlated to response or survival. We conclude that VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 could potentially be predictive markers in patients with UGI cancers treated with erlotinib and bevacizumab.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1538-4047

VL - 11

SP - 732

EP - 739

JO - Cancer Biology & Therapy

JF - Cancer Biology & Therapy

IS - 8

ER -