Authors' objectives: Cetuximab is used to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Cetuximab is a personalised medicine tailored to the genetic make-up of a patient. A patient's cancer cells must therefore be tested to see if they contain the normal ("wild-type") or a mutant form of a gene called RAS. Cetuximab is only used to treat metastatic CRC patients who have a normal RAS gene. Colorectal cancer, commonly known as colon or bowel cancer, is a cancer formed by uncontrolled cell growth in the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine), or in the appendix. Symptoms of colorectal cancer typically include rectal bleeding and anemia, sometimes associated with weight loss and changes in bowel habits. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from the place where it first started to other place(s) in the body. The symptoms and signs of metastatic colorectal cancer depend on the location of the tumour in the bowel and on where it has spread elsewhere in the body.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.msac.gov.au/internet/msac/publishing.nsf/Content/1362.1-public

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Australia

Organisation Name: Medical Services Advisory Committee

Contact Address: MSAC (MDP 107), GPO Box 9848, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Tel: +61 2 6289 6811; Fax: +61 2 6289 8799.

Contact Name: msac.secretariat@health.gov.au

Contact Email: msac.secretariat@health.gov.au

Copyright: Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC)