Adding Cetuximab to Definitive Chemoradiation for Esophageal Cancer

To the Editor In a recent issue of JAMA Oncology, Suntharalingam et al reported that the addition of cetuximab to concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) with paclitaxel and cisplatin failed to improve the survival of patients undergoing nonoperative treatment of esophageal cancer. They concluded that RTOG 0436 had negative results and suggested focusing future trials on patients with actionable molecular targets. Surprisingly, Suntharalingam et al also stated that because of the toxic effects observed in both experimental and control treatment arms, they were inclined to recommend a systemic therapy that uses a platinum-taxane combination rather than fluorouracil.

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