EGFR and mesothelioma

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183281

Cancer Treat Rev. 2010 Dec 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Targeted epidermal growth factor receptor therapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma: Where do we stand?
Agarwal V, Lind MJ, Cawkwell L.

Cancer Biology Proteomics Group, Postgraduate Medical Institute of the University of Hull and Hull York Medical School, Hull, UK; Queens Centre for Oncology and Haematology, Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust, Hull, UK.
Abstract
The median survival for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma remains extremely poor and there is a need for the development of more effective treatment modalities. The epidermal growth factor receptor is frequently over-expressed in malignant pleural mesothelioma samples and therefore may be a potential therapeutic target. Targeted EGFR therapy has been successful in non-small cell lung cancer using small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors and in colorectal cancer using monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies. However, phase II clinical trials based on EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy have so far not shown promise in mesothelioma. This review includes a background to targeted EGFR treatment strategies, explores putative therapy resistance mechanisms, including the role of predictive biomarkers, and describes the current status of targeted EGFR therapeutic strategies for mesothelioma patients.