cetuximab + fluorouracil + irinotecan + oxaliplatin

Cetuximab + fluorouracil + irinotecan + oxaliplatin is a four-drug combination regimen used in oncology, primarily for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and, less commonly, pancreatic cancer. This regimen combines: - Cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which inhibits EGFR-mediated signaling pathways involved in tumor cell proliferation and survival. - Fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analog antimetabolite that inhibits thymidylate synthase, disrupting DNA synthesis and function. - Irinotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor that prevents DNA unwinding and replication by stabilizing the cleavable complex of topoisomerase I with DNA. - Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent that forms crosslinks in DNA leading to apoptosis. This combination is not marketed under a unique brand name but represents an intensification of standard regimens such as FOLFIRI (fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan) or FOLFOX (fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin) with the addition of cetuximab. It is generally reserved for patients with RAS wild-type tumors due to cetuximab’s mechanism of action[1][3][6][8].