Eric Van Cutsem talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's New Hot Paper in the field of Clinical
Medicine.
Article Title: KRAS wild-type state predicts
survival and is associated to early radiological response
in metastatic colorectal cancer treated with
cetuximab
Authors: De Roock, W;Piessevaux, H;De Schutter, J;Janssens,
M;De Hertogh, G;Personeni, N;Biesmans, B;Van Laethem,
JL;Peeters, M;Humblet,
Y;
Van Cutsem, E;Tejpar, S
Journal: ANN ONCOL, Volume: 19, Issue: 3, Page: 508-515,
Year: MAR 2008
* Katholieke Univ Leuven, Univ Hosp Gasthuisberg, Digest
Oncol Unit, Herestr 49, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium.
(addresses have been truncated)
Why do you think your paper is highly cited?
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of
knowledge?
It's a new synthesis of knowledge covering important clinical data which
looks at the impact of imaging on treatment for metastatic colorectal
cancer.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
Rapid tumor regression and tumor shrinkage in patients with metastatic
colorectal cancer when treated with cetuximab predicts good efficacy and
benefit from this therapy.
How did you become involved in this research, and
were there any problems along the way?
Our team is involved in the evaluation of several new treatment options.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
Toward helping to understand the role of imaging in the prediction of the
benefit in a particular treatment. We believe that our work and that of
others represents a significant step towards achieving the optimal use of
epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapies.
Eric Van Cutsem, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
University of Leuven
Head of the Division of Digestive Oncology
Gasthuisberg University Hospital
Leuven, Belgium Web