Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

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Section editor
	Elizabeth Buchbinder, MD Boston, MA LinkedIn

6 regimens on this page 9 variants on this page

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Bleomycin & Cisplatin

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Regimen

Study	Evidence
Denic et al. 1999	Pilot, <20 patients reported

Neoadjuvant case reports only.

Chemotherapy

• Cisplatin (Platinol) 20 mg/m² IV once per day on days 1 to 4
• Bleomycin (Blenoxane) 20 mg IV once per day on days 1 to 4

21-day cycle for 3 cycles

References

1. Denic S. Preoperative treatment of advanced skin carcinoma with cisplatin and bleomycin. Am J Clin Oncol. 1999 Feb;22(1):32-4. link to original article contains protocol PubMed

Advanced or metastatic disease, all lines of therapy

Cetuximab monotherapy

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Regimen #1

Study	Evidence
Maubec et al. 2011	Phase II

Chemotherapy

• Cetuximab (Erbitux) 400 mg/m² IV once, then 250 mg/m² IV once per week

Given for at least 6 weeks, to be continued until progression of disease or unacceptable toxicity

Regimen #2

Study	Evidence
Kim et al. 2011	Pilot, <20 patients reported

Case report only.

Chemotherapy

• Cetuximab (Erbitux) 400 mg/m² IV once, then 250 mg/m² IV once per week

3 month course

Regimen #3

Study	Evidence
Miller et al. 2010	Pilot, <20 patients reported

Case report only.

Chemotherapy

• Cetuximab (Erbitux) 400 mg/m² IV once on day 1, then 250 mg/m² IV once per day on days 8, 15, 22

6-month cycles, given indefinitely unless progression occurs

References

1. Bauman JE, Eaton KD, Martins RG. Treatment of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin with cetuximab. Arch Dermatol. 2007 Jul;143(7):889-92. link to original article PubMed
2. Suen JK, Bressler L, Shord SS, Warso M, Villano JL. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma responding serially to single-agent cetuximab. Anticancer Drugs. 2007 Aug;18(7):827-9. link to original article PubMed
3. Arnold AW, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Zuger C, Itin PH. Cetuximab therapy of metastasizing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Dermatology. 2009;219(1):80-3. Epub 2009 May 13. link to original article PubMed
4. Miller K, Sherman W, Ratner D. Complete clinical response to cetuximab in a patient with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Dermatol Surg. 2010 Dec;36(12):2069-74. Epub 2010 Oct 11. link to original article contains verified protocol PubMed content property of HemOnc.org
5. Kim S, Eleff M, Nicolaou N. Cetuximab as primary treatment for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to the neck. Head Neck. 2011 Feb;33(2):286-8. link to original article contains verified protocol PubMed
6. Maubec E, Petrow P, Scheer-Senyarich I, Duvillard P, Lacroix L, Gelly J, Certain A, Duval X, Crickx B, Buffard V, Basset-Seguin N, Saez P, Duval-Modeste AB, Adamski H, Mansard S, Grange F, Dompmartin A, Faivre S, Mentré F, Avril MF. Phase II study of cetuximab as first-line single-drug therapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. J Clin Oncol. 2011 Sep 1;29(25):3419-26. Epub 2011 Aug 1. link to original article contains verified protocol PubMed

Cisplatin & Doxorubicin

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Regimen

Study	Evidence
Guthrie et al. 1990	Non-randomized

Chemotherapy

• Cisplatin (Platinol) 75 mg/m² IV once on day 1
• Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) 50 mg/m² IV once on day 1

21-day cycles

References

1. Guthrie TH, Porubsky ES. Successful systemic chemotherapy of advanced squamous and basal cell carcinoma of the skin with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum III and doxorubicin. Laryngoscope. 1982 Nov;92(11):1298-9. PubMed
2. Guthrie TH Jr, McElveen LJ, Porubsky ES, Harmon JD. Cisplatin and doxorubicin. An effective chemotherapy combination in the treatment of advanced basal cell and squamous carcinoma of the skin. Cancer. 1985 Apr 15;55(8):1629-32. PubMed
3. Guthrie TH Jr, Porubsky ES, Luxenberg MN, Shah KJ, Wurtz KL, Watson PR. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin: results in 28 patients including 13 patients receiving multimodality therapy. J Clin Oncol. 1990 Feb;8(2):342-6. link to original article contains verified protocol PubMed

Cisplatin, Interferon alfa-2a, Isotretinoin

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Regimen

Study	Evidence
Shin et al. 2002	Phase II

Note: Shin et al. 2002 did not clearly specify whether the interferon alfa used in the trial was 2a or 2b, but based on the details in the paper and the references cited, it is inferred that interferon alfa-2a was used.

Chemoimmunotherapy

• Interferon alfa-2a (Roferon-A) 5,000,000 units/m² SC 3 times per week
• Isotretinoin (Accutane) 1 mg/kg PO once per day
• Cisplatin (Platinol) 20 mg/m² IV once per week

References

1. Shin DM, Glisson BS, Khuri FR, Clifford JL, Clayman G, Benner SE, Forastiere AA, Ginsberg L, Liu D, Lee JJ, Myers J, Goepfert H, Lotan R, Hong WK, Lippman SM. Phase II and biologic study of interferon alfa, retinoic acid, and cisplatin in advanced squamous skin cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2002 Jan 15;20(2):364-70. link to original article contains verified protocol PubMed