A trend to a worsened outcome was noted with the addition of panitumumab on both the PRIME and PEAK study in NRAS

and non-exon 2 KRAS mutations, suggesting that this group of patients does not benefit—and may be potentially harmed—from anti-EGFR therapy (26,27). Of note, the exclusion of NRAS and non-exon 2 KRAS mutations results in the additional exclusion of approximately 15% of exon 2 KRAS wild-type patients, therefore enriching further for good responders to anti-EGFR therapy. If confirmed across other anti-EGFR studies, these findings may lead to an increased integration of anti-EGFR therapies in the front-line Selleckchem CAL 101 treatment of a molecularly-appropriate patient population. Targeted therapies Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical treatment of targeted therapies Contrary to the benefits of targeted therapies in the metastatic colorectal cancer, no benefits have yet to be associated with anti-angiogenesis therapy or anti-EGFR therapy in the adjuvant treatment or neoadjuvant treatment of primary colorectal cancer. Nelson and Benson review the data for bevacizumab and cetuximab in the adjuvant

treatment of stage III colon cancer (5). As noted by the authors, the lack of benefit from two phase III clinical trials investigating bevacizumab and two phase III clinical trials investigating cetuximab Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical close the case on the integration of these biological therapies in earlier stages of colorectal cancer. A comprehensive review of by Glynn-Jones et al. on the neoadjuvant integration of bevacizumab or anti-EGFR

therapies on rectal cancer leads to the same conclusion (6). More recently, the EPOC study reported on the combination chemotherapy (FOLFOX Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical or FOLFIRI) with or without cetuximab as a neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable metastatic liver metastases (28). The study was closed as per the recommendations of the Independent Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Data Monitoring Committee after noting a harmful effect of cetuximab on progression free survival. These results suggest a lack of benefit from the anti-EGFR therapy in resectable KRAS wild type tumors, whether localized or metastatic. The evidence of discordance between the benefits from anti-EGFR and anti-VEGF therapies in the metastatic setting and resectable settings are poorly understood at this point and may denote a complex interaction between these agents, microscopic/macroscopic disease, and the stroma. The identification of additional potential markers Tolmetin of resistance to anti-EGFR therapy (NRAS, HRAS, non-exon 2 RAS) will mandate the re-analysis of the anti-EGFR adjuvant and neo-adjuvant trials in hopes of identifying a molecular subgroup of patients that may benefit from these agents. Surgical considerations The reader is referred to the review by Luu et al. on the integration of targeted therapies in the neoadjuvant treatment of surgical cancers (7). As noted by Luu et al.