Target-treatment and patients{'} selection: Can we still neglect the timing of tissue collection? [17]

We read with interest the report by Chung et al1 that explores the potential role of cetuximab in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) –negative patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The authors identified patients treated with cetuximab-based therapy who had experienced failure with a prior irinotecan-based regimen and who had a pathology report indicating an EGFRnegative tumor by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In 16 patients, six major/minor objective responses were seen. According to these data, they conclude that “. . .the exclusion of patients for cetuximab therapy on the basis of currently available EGFR IHC does not seem warranted.”