Dr. Ciombor on the Utilization of Maintenance Panitumumab in RAS Wild-Type Metastatic CRC

Kristen K. Ciombor, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the use of panitumumab (Vectibix) in the maintenance treatment of patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

The phase 2 PANAMA trial (AIO KRK 0212 trial; NCT01991873), data of which were originally presented during the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting, investigated the addition of panitumumab to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin as maintenance treatment in this population. The patients enrolled to the trial received up-front FOLFOX (5-FU and oxaliplatin) plus panitumumab. Those who achieved disease control, defined as complete remission or stable disease, were then randomized 1:1 to receive panitumumab plus 5-FU/leucovorin or 5-FU/leucovorin alone.

Optimal maintenance therapy following treatment with fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and EGFR-based induction therapy remains unclear. The trial deepened the understanding of options available to patients who receive up-front anti-EGFR therapy, Ciombor says. However, panitumumab may not always be the optimal option for patients with mCRC in the maintenance setting due to its toxicities, Ciombor concludes.