Concurrent Cetuximab and Irradiation for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in Vitro

Objective To explore the effects of cetuximab combined with irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(HNSCC) in vitro.Methods Using clonogenic survival to test the sensitivity of cetuximab and the effects of concomitant cetuximab and irradiation in three HNSCC cell lines.Results The IC70 and IC50 values for cetuximab were within low range.The effect of cetuximab in combination with irradiation was additive or supra-additive,which was superior to irradiation alone.The combined treatment increased the curative effects constantly in a dose depended manner with increasing cetuximab dose.Conclusion These results indicate the sensitivity of cetuximab in HNSCC cell lines and the efficacy in combined-modality paradigm.Further studies are warranted.