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DOH approves new drug for head and neck cancer

The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday approved the use of Erbitux, a drug developed to treat head and neck cancer, including oral cancer, laryngeal, hypopharynx and nasospharyngeal cancer.

The drug -- the only one developed in the past 50 years to specifically treat head and neck cancer -- will be used in conjunction with chemotherapy.

Blocking growth

Wu Mao-ching (吳茂青), a doctor at the Koo Foundation Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center, said yesterday that Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody that targets a protein known as epidermal growth factor (EGFR).

Unlike other treatments that kill both malicious and benign cells, Erbitux interferes with cancer cell growth by binding to EGFR, he said.

Research conducted by the National Institute of Health and the Kaohsiung Medical University's public health department established a strong correlation between chewing betel nuts and the development of head and neck cancer.

The study also showed that a person is 96.9 times more likely to get hypopharynx cancer and 40.3 times more likely to get laryngeal cancer if he or she chews betel nuts, smokes or consumes excessive amounts of alcohol.

Wu said that head and neck cancers are extremely difficult to treat.

Two years

Clinical trials of Erbitux were carried out on 124 patients, who also received chemotherapy treatment.

Based on clinical trials, the combined treatment is expected to prolong the life of patients by almost two years.

The drug, however, has side effects including hair loss, lethargy and the appearance of red spots on the skin.
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