Interest to consider re-challenging by cetuximab and platinum containing regimen in recurrent Head and Neck Cancer.

Background: The EXTREME protocol is the standard of care for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) in first line. Beyond the first-line except immunotherapy, poor efficacy was reported by second-line chemotherapy. Re-challenge strategies based on a repetition of the first line with platinum and cetuximab regimens might have been an option to consider.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study in order to assess the efficacy of the cetuximab plus platinum doublet-based chemotherapy regimen in patients with R/M HNSCC progressing after at least 3 months of cetuximab maintenance (EXTREME protocol). We complete a retrospective review of all medical records from R/M HNSCC patients treated after 16 weeks with the EXTREME regimen and treated with a re-challenge strategy between January 2010 and December 2014 in our institution (Centre Paul Strauss, Strasbourg, France).

Results: 33 patients were identified. The re-challenged strategy provided an ORR in 33.3% of cases and a DCR of 69.6% of cases. The median OS and PFS observed from the second line were 11.2 months and 6.5 months for the subset re-challenged by EXTREME or PCC regimens respectively. The response rate between patients with a platin free interval within 3 and 6 months and greater than 6 months were equal. Drugs dose intensity were better with the PCC protocol than the EXTREME regimen used as a rechallenge.

Conclusions: This study suggest re-challenging strategy by these regimens could be considered beyond the first line as an option when the platin free interval is greater than 3 months.