I am currently being treated with Cetuximab/Erbitux after on and off complicated treatment regimen (due to bone necrosis in jaw, likely caused by bevacizumab/Avastin--another targeted therapy drug)to treat stage IV mets to lungs, which was primary'd from throat cancer back in 2012. My most recent treatment soup has been carboplatin(orig cisplatin--carbo is less harsh), taxotere, and the Erbitux, which was added early last November. I took a break from all treatment after finishing the latest four treatment, 21-day cycle, carbo/tax regimen.
Most recent CT-Scans have shown very positive results to mets in lungs. This came at a price, the side-effects were hard on me.
From everything I've read though, and I read everything I can get access to, the side-effects are worth putting up with. Of course, that is barring allergic reaction, unbearable side-effects, etc,. Some people continue with Cetuximab/Erbitux for years as "maintenance therapy".
I had minor rash on chest. My face and hands were affected the worst. At the end of about 4 or 5-weeks on Cetuximab my face appeared sunburnt, with skin flaking. Along the way I treated this with Uecerin cream. Hands dried so bad that I was wrapping bandaids around half my finger tips from tiny deep cuts that opened on their own, as well as various nicks and scrapes. I used Uecerin on hands also. I had really weird eye-tearing thing going on too. Phys Asst told me it wasn't pink eye, but it looked like it.
My magnesium levels dropped very low throughout this experience and still are not right yet; they call this hypomagnesemia. I am taking over the counter supplement currently. There were few times the IV'd magnesium into me during chemo. I have had muscle and arthritic-like joint pain from this. No energy, malaise kind of lethargy too. Things can get dangerous if magnesium levels (as well as others) aren't kept in correct range.
Yeah, that's my latest course of self-study, fluids and electrolytes. Ahhh, but I've said enough here, I'm not trying to hijack the thread. I thought I a little bit more first hand detail in answer to your question wouldn't hurt here.
On Jan 20th I start "maintenance" regimen of Cetuximab/Erbitux alone, which will be cut back to every other week at my request. If anyone wants Erbitux updates, check back with me. We'll know after a while whether or not it was the targeted therapy drug that shrunk, and in some cases flat out disappeared, my tumors.