Eric Nadler1,2, Seongjung Joo3, Marley Boyd1, Jenny Black-Shinn1, Diana Chirovsky3. 1. The US Oncology Network/McKesson Specialty Health, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, 10101 Woodloch Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380, USA. 2. Charles E Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, 3410 Worth St #400, Dallas, TX 75246, USA. 3. Merck & Co., Inc., MRL, Center for Observational & Real World Evidence (CORE), Oncology, 2000 Galloping Hill Rd, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA.
Abstract
AIM: Cetuximab was approved in 2008 for treating recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and this study assessed the utilization of cetuximab for R/M-HNSCC in a real-world setting. MATERIALS & METHODS: Adult patients with R/M-HNSCC, who initiated systemic therapy between 1 September 2011 and 31 December 2014 and followed through 31 December 2015, were identified from iKnowMed electronic-health-records database (McKesson Specialty Health) supplemented with manual chart-abstraction. RESULTS: For 325 R/M-HNSCC patients; median age 62 years; 82% males, 67% had oropharyngeal cancer, most common first-line (1L) regimen was platinum-based combinations (76%), of whom only 8% received platinum + cetuximab +/- 5-fluorouracil. CONCLUSION: Despite US FDA approval and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommending use of cetuximab for palliative treatment of R/M-HNSCC, our study demonstrates low utilization in 1L and 2L settings, underscoring the need to understand reasons for low utilization.
AIM: Cetuximab was approved in 2008 for treating recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and this study assessed the utilization of cetuximab for R/M-HNSCC in a real-world setting. MATERIALS & METHODS: Adult patients with R/M-HNSCC, who initiated systemic therapy between 1 September 2011 and 31 December 2014 and followed through 31 December 2015, were identified from iKnowMed electronic-health-records database (McKesson Specialty Health) supplemented with manual chart-abstraction. RESULTS: For 325 R/M-HNSCC patients; median age 62 years; 82% males, 67% had oropharyngeal cancer, most common first-line (1L) regimen was platinum-based combinations (76%), of whom only 8% received platinum + cetuximab +/- 5-fluorouracil. CONCLUSION: Despite US FDA approval and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommending use of cetuximab for palliative treatment of R/M-HNSCC, our study demonstrates low utilization in 1L and 2L settings, underscoring the need to understand reasons for low utilization.