KRAS status detected by ARMS and cetuximab efficacy
2011

KRAS Testing and Cetuximab Efficacy in Colorectal Cancer

Sample size: 159 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Bando H, Yoshino T, Tsuchihara K, Ogasawara N, Fuse N, Kojima T, Tahara M, Kojima M, Kaneko K, Doi T, Ochiai A, Esumi H, Ohtsu A

Primary Institution: National Cancer Center Hospital East

Hypothesis

Does sensitive KRAS testing improve the prediction of cetuximab efficacy in colorectal cancer patients?

Conclusion

Sensitive and quality-controlled KRAS testing may provide improved predictive power to determine the efficacy of anti-epidermal growth factor antibodies.

Supporting Evidence

  • The overall mutation rate was 37.0% by direct sequencing and 44.0% by ARMS/S.
  • ARMS/S WT patients had a median progression-free survival of 5.0 months compared to 1.7 months for ARMS/S MUT patients.
  • The response rate for ARMS/S WT patients treated with cetuximab was 16.0%.

Takeaway

This study found that a better test for KRAS mutations can help doctors know if a cancer treatment will work for patients with colorectal cancer.

Methodology

The study compared KRAS mutation detection using direct sequencing and ARMS/S in patients receiving cetuximab.

Potential Biases

The retrospective design may have led to selection bias.

Limitations

The study had a small sample size and was retrospective, which could introduce bias.

Participant Demographics

Patients were adults aged 20 and older with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.001

Statistical Significance

p=0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/bjc.2011.247

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