Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40405694›Full record

ArticleJournal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG2025

Cetuximab plus 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.

Julia Huynh, Thomas Eigentler, Rose K C Moritz, Gabriela Poch, Max Schlaak, Gabor Dobos

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Cetuximab plus 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Julia HuynhDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2357-4184
Thomas EigentlerDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Rose K C MoritzDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7102-8762
Gabriela PochDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Max SchlaakDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Gabor DobosDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2544-7197

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFor patients with locally advanced (la) or metastatic (m) cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) who are not candidates for curative surgery/radiation or systemic anti-PD1 therapy, anti-EGFR in combination with chemotherapy is a rational treatment option. PATIENTS AND

methodsWe analyzed data from 20 patients with cSCC in this monocentric, retrospective study. 4/20 patients had laSCC and 16/20 patients had mSCC. Patients received combined cetuximab and 5-FU between 2015 and 2023. Nine patients received cetuximab + 5-FU as second-line therapy (8 patients after anti-PD-1, 1 patient after radiochemotherapy).

resultsOne patient had partial response (PR) and 9/20 (45.0%) had stable disease (SD). Disease control rate (PR + SD) was 50%. No complete remissions were observed. One of the non-responders suffered from laSCC, nine patients had mSCC with distant metastases (including parotid) and locoregional lymph node metastases. Treatment was well tolerated, with a median PFS of 3 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 2 months to not assessable [NA]) and median overall survival (OS) of 29 months (95% CI 11-NA). The most common adverse event was acne-like rash in 40.0% of patients.

conclusionsFor patients with advanced cSCC who are contraindicated to or have progressed on first-line cemiplimab, combination of cetuximab and 5-FU is a well-tolerated but limited treatment option.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarcinoma, Squamous CellCetuximabFluorouracilSkin NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeCetuximabFluorouracil5‐FUanti‐EGFRcetuximabchemotherapycutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID40405694
PMCPMC12338410

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.