Epidermal growth factor receptor ligands: targets for optimizing treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Abstract

The discovery of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) revealed the connection between EGF-like ligands, signaling from the EGFR family members and cancer. Over the next fifty years, analysis of EGFR expression and mutation led to the use of monoclonal antibodies to target EGFR in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and this treatment has improved outcomes for patients. The use of the RAS oncogene mutational status has helped to refine patient selection for EGFR antibody therapy, but an effective molecular predictor of likely responders is lacking. This review analyzes the potential utility of measuring the expression, levels and activation of EGF-like ligands and associated processes as prognostic or predictive markers for the identification of patient risk and more effective mCRC therapies.

Keywords:

• EGFR ligands
• oncology
• personalized therapy
• metastatic colorectal cancer

Acknowledgments

The results published here are in part based upon data generated by the TCGA Research Network: https://www.cancer.gov/tcga

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

S.F. is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.