Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2015 Jul;3(4):294-296. 10.4168/aard.2015.3.4.294.

Successful rapid desensitization for cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis

• Won HK
• Moon SD
• Shim JS
• Chung SJ
• Kim GW
• Kim SJ
• Park HK
• Kang HR

• KMID: 2218660
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2015.3.4.294

Abstract

Cetuximab, a chimeric mouse-human immunoglobulin, is an antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of metastatic colorectal and head/neck cancer, but can cause fatal hypersensitivity reactions in some patients. A 66-year-old male with metastatic sigmoid cancer had cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis when the first dose of cetuximab was administered. Cetuximab was safely readministered for another 15 cycles based on the rapid desensitization protocol. We experienced a case of cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis on the first exposure which was successfully managed by rapid desensitization.

Keyword

Cetuximab; Hypersensitivity; Immunologic desensitization

MeSH Terms

Aged
Anaphylaxis*
Desensitization, Immunologic
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Immunoglobulins
Male
Sigmoid Neoplasms
United States Food and Drug Administration
Cetuximab
Immunoglobulins

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