Abstract
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) represent the vast majority of all malignant tumors of the head and neck. The development of distant metastases is now more often observed among these tumors than in the past. The department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Free University Hospital has focussed upon the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for treating SCC metastases. MAb E 48 was selected after it was shown to react strongly to SCC and minimally to normal tissues. In animal models clear tumor visualization and impressive tumor regression occurred when the antibody was linked to a suitable isotope. A diagnostic phase I/II study for the detection of lymph node metastases has entered 51 patients with head and neck cancer. Biodistribution data, acquired from surgical specimens, has shown an average tumor uptake of 30m%/g tumor tissue of the injected dose of mAb E 48. Extrapolation of data from therapeutic animal studies to these findings suggests that radioimmunotherapy can be effective in head and neck cancer patients, notably as adjuvant therapy in patients with a high chance of developing distant metastases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ali S, Tiwari RM, Snow GB (1985) False positive and false negative neck nodes. Head Neck Surg 8:78–82
Breitz HB, Weiden PL, Heyden JL vander, Appelbaum JW, Bjorn MJ, Fer MF (1992) Clinical experience with rhenium186 labeled monoclonal antibodies for radioimmunotherapy: results of phase 1 trials. J Nucl Med 33:1099–1109
Chatal JF, Saccavini JC, Thedrez P, Curtet C, Kremer M, Guerreua D (1989) Biodistribution of Indium-11-labeled OC 125 monoclonal antibody intraperitoneally injected into patients operated on for ovarian carcinomas. Cancer Res 49:3087–3094
Cobb LM (1989) Intratumour fators influencing the access of antibody to tumour cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother 28: 235–240
Fentiman IS, Mansel RE (1991) The axilla: not a no-go zone. Lancet 337:221–223
Gerretsen M, Quak JJ, Suh JS, Walsum M van, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1991) Superior localization and imaging of radiolabelled monoclonal antibody E48 F(ab′)2 fragment in xenografts of human squamous carcinoma of the vulva and of the head and neck as compared to monoclonal antibody E 48 IgG. Br J Cancer 63:37–44
Gerretsen M, Schrijvers AHGJ, Walsum M van, Braakhuis BJM, Quak JJ, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1992) Radioimmunotherapy of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma xenografts with 131I labelled monoclonal antibody E48 IgG. Br J Cancer 66:496–502
Goldenberg DM, Griffiths GL (1992) Radioinununotherapy; arming the missiles. J Nucl Med 33:1110–1112
John E, Thakur ML, DeFuvio J, McDevitt ML, Damjanow I (1993) Rhenium-186-labeled monoclonal antibodies for radioimmunotherapy: preparation and evaluation. J Nucl Med 34:260–267
Kennel SJ, Falcioni R, Wesley JW (1991) Microdistribution of specific rat monoclonal antibodies to mouse tissues and human tumor xenografts. Cancer Res 51: 1529–1536
Leemans CR, Tiwari RM, Van der Waal I, Nauta JJP, Snow GB (1993) Regional lymph node involvement and its significance in the development of distant metases in head and neck cancer. Cancer 71:452–456
Najafi A, Alauddin MM, Sosa A, Ma CQ, Chen DCP, Epstein AL (1992) The evaluation of 186Re labeled antibodies using N2S4 chelate in vitro and in vivo using tumour-bearing nude mice. Int J Radiat Appl Instrum [B] 19:205–212
Quak JJ, Balm AJM, Brakkee JGP, Scheper RJ, Haisma H, Braakhuis BJM, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1989) Localization and imaging of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody against squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in tumour bearing nude mice. Int J Cancer 44:534–538
Quak JJ, Brakkee JGP, Scheper RJ, Snow GB, Balm AJM (1989) A comparative study on the production of monoclonal antibodies to head and neck cancer. In: Wolf GT, Carey TE (eds) Head and neck oncology research. Kugler, Amsterdam pp 95–102
Quak JJ, Balm AJM, Brakkee JGP, Scheper RJ, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1990) Production of monoclonal antibodies to squamous cell carcinoma antigens. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 116:181–185
Quak JJ, Dongen GAMS van, Gerretsen M, Brakkee JGP, Hayashida DJ, Balm AJM, Snow GB, Meijer CJLM (1990) Production of monoclonal antibody to a squamous cell carcinoma antigen identified as the 17-la antigen. Hybridoma 9: 377–387
Quak JJ, Balm AJM, Dongen GAMS van, Brakkee JGP, Scheper RJ, Snow GB, Meijer CJLM (1990) A 22kDa surface antigen detected by monoclonal antibody E 48 is exclusively expressed in stratified and transitional epithelia.Am J Pathol 136:191–197
Quak JJ, Dongen GAMS van, Brakkee JGP, Davis HD, Scheper RJ, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1992) Expression and characterization of two differentiation antigens in stratified squamous epithelia and carcinomas. Int J Cancer 50:507–513
Schrijvers AHGJ, Gerretsen M, Walsum M van, Braakhuis BJM, Quak JJ, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1991) Evidence for a role of the monoclonal antibody E48 defined antigen in cell adhesion in squamous epithelia. Exp Cell Res 196:264–269
Schrijvers AHGJ, Gerretsen M, Walsum M van, Braakhuis BJM, Quak JJ, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1992) Potential for targeting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with monoclonal antibody K984. Cancer Immunol Immunother 34: 252–258
Schrijvers AHJG, Quak JJ, Uyterlinde AM, Walsum M van, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1993) Mab U 36, a novel monoclonal antibody successful in immunotargeting squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Cancer Res 53:4383–4390
Shikani AH, Richtsmeijer WJ, Klein JL, Kopher KA (1992) Radiolabeled antibody therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 118: 521–525
Snow GB (1989) Evaluation of new treatment methods for head and neck cancer: a challenge. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 107:352–356
Van den Brekel MWM, Stel HV, Castelijns JA, Nauta JJP, Waal I van der, Valk J, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1990) Cervical lymph node metastasis: assessment of radiologic criteria. Radiology 177:379–384
Van den Brekel MWM, Castelijns JA, Stel HV, Valk J, Snow GB (1990) Detection and characterization of metastatic cervical adenopathy by MRI imaging, comparison of different MR techniques. J Comput Assist Tomogr 14:581–589
Van den Brekel MWM, Castelijns JA, Croll GA, Stel HV, Valk J, Waal I van der, Golding FR, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1991) Magnetic resonance imaging vs palpation of cervical lymph node metastasis. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 117:666–673
Van den Brekel MWM, Castelijns JA, Stel HV, Golding RP, Meijer CJLM, Snow GB (1993) Modern imaging techniques and ultrasound guided aspiration cytology for the assessment of the neck node metastases: a prospective comparative study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 250:11–17
Van Dongen GAMS, Leverstein H, Roos JC, Quak JJ, Brekel MWM van den, Lingen A van, Martens HJM, Castelijns JA, Visser GWM, Meijer CJLM, Teule GJJ, Snow GB (1992) Radioimmunoscintigraphy of head and neck cancer using 99Tclabeled monoclonal antibody E 48 F(ab′)2. Cancer Res 52: 2569–2574
Visser GWM, Gerretsen M, Herscheid JDM, Snow GB, Dongen GAMS van (1993) Labeling of monoclonal antibody E48 with 186Re using the MAG3 chelate for radioimmunotherapy of head and neck cancer. A technical protocol. J Nucl Med 34: 1953–1963
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Part of this research was supported by Centocor BV, Leiden, The Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Dutch Cancer Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quak, J., van Dongen, G. Current perspectives in the use of monoclonal antibodies for detection and treatment of head and neck tumors. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 251, 1–5 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00175949
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00175949