Panitumumab in the treatment of colon cancer: A biomarker dilemma.

Panitumumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) approved for use in colorectal cancer (CRC). Critical information regarding biomarkers in CRC has been discovered through the investigation of panitumumab treatment. The discovery of anti-EGFR resistance in the setting of Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) and more recently, neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene (NRAS) mutations in CRC has changed the focus of therapy for metastatic disease to one based on the molecular characteristics of the tumor. This review will give a brief background on panitumumab and its current uses in CRC.