Cetuximab

my S.O. was treated with cetuximab (aka erbitux) for head and neck cancer with an unknown primary.  it was a 9 week clinical trial using taxotere, 5-fu, cisplatin and cetuximab.  the rash from the cetuximab was really bad for my guy...it covered his head, face, and upper torso.  at one point they gave him antibiotics since there was a lot of cracking and bleeding. he also had a cream to dry the worst patches up but it really burned his skin so he stopped using it.  it was suggested by his nurse to use head and shoulders dandruff shampoo as a body wash and that did seem to help.  they skipped on week of chemo because the rash was so bad.  it took nearly two months for it to clear up completely.  towards the end his finger tips cracked and had a tingly feel to them.  he does have a little scarring from the rash but perhaps it will fade in time.

i know this all sounds awful but in the end the tumor in his neck (which i believe was nearly 7 centimeters) shrunk to nearly nothing.  his doctors felt he had a full response to the treatment.  we are now two days away from finishing 36 rad treatments that included weekly carboplatin infusions.  they skipped the last 3 chemos due to low white blood count but felt he had so much chemo up front that it would be fine.

best of luck to your family member...it is a tough road but it is curable!

~meesh

On 4/20/2008 meesh wrote:

my S.O. was treated with cetuximab (aka erbitux) for head and neck cancer with an unknown primary.  it was a 9 week clinical trial using taxotere, 5-fu, cisplatin and cetuximab.  the rash from the cetuximab was really bad for my guy...it covered his head, face, and upper torso.  at one point they gave him antibiotics since there was a lot of cracking and bleeding. he also had a cream to dry the worst patches up but it really burned his skin so he stopped using it.  it was suggested by his nurse to use head and shoulders dandruff shampoo as a body wash and that did seem to help.  they skipped on week of chemo because the rash was so bad.  it took nearly two months for it to clear up completely.  towards the end his finger tips cracked and had a tingly feel to them.  he does have a little scarring from the rash but perhaps it will fade in time.

i know this all sounds awful but in the end the tumor in his neck (which i believe was nearly 7 centimeters) shrunk to nearly nothing.  his doctors felt he had a full response to the treatment.  we are now two days away from finishing 36 rad treatments that included weekly carboplatin infusions.  they skipped the last 3 chemos due to low white blood count but felt he had so much chemo up front that it would be fine.

best of luck to your family member...it is a tough road but it is curable!

~meesh

meesh

 When your SO had the treatment, did they combine the erbitux with the other chemos or did he take them separately?I'm asking because  my brother in law just finished his last erbitux treatment but it was used alone.(He gets a scan tomorrow) He couldnt take the cisplatin which they tried first because his kidneys couldnt take it. Then they tried carboplatin and that was not really effective. So they did the erbitux but no radiation(he's had his fill) and no other chemo combined. He has been fighting this for 7 years now (nasophyarngeal)It keeps showing up in other places other than where it started and mostly around the throat area. He now has a tumor pressing against the carotid artery. I just hope this works because they are running out of options. I know its not a cure but at least it can turn it into a somewhat chronic illness. Thanks for any comments positive or negative. I just need to know what to expect or not expect. I would appreciate any help from anyone. I'm kind of getting despirate. (sighhh) 

Denise1156

Denise1156

Hi Denise,

His treatment was in 3 week cycles. 

Week 1- taxotere, cisplatin, erbitux and 5-fu - all infused over one very long day (the 5-fu we came home with and he was hooked up to a pump for 4 days)

Weeks 2 & 3 - were erbitux only

then it started over again on week 4 -

~m

On 4/21/2008 meesh wrote:

Hi Denise,

His treatment was in 3 week cycles. 

Week 1- taxotere, cisplatin, erbitux and 5-fu - all infused over one very long day (the 5-fu we came home with and he was hooked up to a pump for 4 days)

Weeks 2 & 3 - were erbitux only

then it started over again on week 4 -

~m

Thanks Meesh....... He had his scan today. We will know soon. Hope it worked

Denise