CURRENT PERSPECTIVES IN THE USE OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES FOR DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF HEAD AND NECK TUMORS

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) represent the vast majority of all mali gnant tumors of the head and neck. The development of distant metastas es is now more often observed among these tumors than in the past. The department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Free University H ospital has focussed upon the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for t reating SCC metastases. MAb E 48 was selected after it was shown to re act strongly to SCC and minimally to normal tissues. In animal models clear tumor visualization and impressive tumor regression occurred whe n the antibody was linked to a suitable isotope. A diagnostic phase I/ II study for the detection of lymph node metastases has entered 51 pat ients with head and neck cancer. Biodistribution data, acquired from s urgical specimens, has shown an average tumor uptake of 30m%/g tumor t issue of the injected dose of mAb E 48. Extrapolation of data from the rapeutic animal studies to these findings suggests that radioimmunothe rapy can be effective in head and neck cancer patients, notably as adj uvant therapy in patients with a high chance of developing distant met astases.