BEIJING, March. 3 -- The US Food and Drug Administration has approved colon cancer drug Erbitux to treat head and neck cancer after results of a large clinical trial showed the drug prolonged survival by 20 months.

    Erbitux is designed for use in combination with radiation therapy to treat patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN) that cannot be removed by surgery.

    It is also the first new therapy for head and neck cancer since the 1950s.

    The drug was also approved Wednesday for use alone to treat patients whose head and neck cancer has metastasized despite the use of standard chemotherapy.

    "We consider this approval an important advance in the treatment of head and neck cancer because it has been shown to help some patients live longer," said Steven Galson, head of the FDA's drug division. "Patients need as many effective treatment options as possible."

    Unlike many chemotherapy drugs that work by poisoning cancer cells, Erbitux is an antibody. Erbitux blocks the effect of a major growth factor that is responsible for causing cancers to grow.

    Erbtiux is not without side effects. Commonly reported side effects of Erbitux are infusion reactions (fever, chills), skin rash, fatigue/malaise, and nausea, states the FDA.

    Every year, about 29,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in the U.S., according to the FDA. Head and neck cancers are more common in men and in people over age 50.

    Tobacco, including chewing tobacco, and alcohol are factors that increase the risk of these cancers. Head and neck cancers affect the mouth, nose, sinuses, and throat. Enditem

(Agencies)