Hi Nancy

Erbitux IS indicated for first line treatment of head and neck cancer in combination with radiation.

the FDA approved this indication some years ago and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines also list Erbitux as a potential treatment. The NCCN DO suggest that cisplatin is preferred and this is because there is more experience with this agent.

http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/head-and-neck.pdf

I am unsure if the link above will work but it is intended to send you to the relevant page of the guidelines.

If it doesn't, search for NCCN guidelines, register (costs nothing), make sure you are on the home page, find "NCCN guidelines" tab at the top and hover on "NCCN guidelines for treatment of cancer by site", locate head and neck cancer and then click on the PDF. Once you have the document downloaded, scroll past the title page and find hyperlink to the table of contents (top right hand corner)on the next page. Locate cancer of the oropharynx (ORPH-1), then "see treatment of primary ...ORPH-3" . In the footnote section "principles of systemic therapy CHEM-A" will take you to the list of chemo drugs that can be used.

I am sure there is an easier way than this, and the guidelines are somewhere on this forum but I can never find them. Maybe someone can make this a bit easier???

there are many reasons why a doctor will choose Erbitux over cisplatin and you need to discuss this with your doctor so that you are fully aware of their reasoning.

Good luck