HER2+ Breast Cancer

Breast cancer patients whose chemotherapy is initiated >60 days following surgery experience worse survival outcomes

Now that targeted therapies are available for the treatment of various subtypes of breast cancer, and many novel agents are under investigation, it is important for the oncology community to follow the latest advancements to give patients the best available options.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive disease accounts for 20% to 25% of breast cancers, as represented by amplification of the HER2 gene and/or HER2 protein overexpression

The benefits of trastuzumab, pertuzumab, lapatinib, and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) have all been well studied, but each drug also has its own set of complications and toxicities.

The first-line combination of trastuzumab and eribulin mesylate demonstrated an ORR of 71.2% with a median PFS of 11.6 months in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

Sunil Verma, MD, MSEd, FRCPC, associate professor, University of Toronto, chair, Breast Medical Oncology, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, provides an outlook on the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Since its approval in 1998 to treat metastatic breast cancer, the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab has dramatically expanded life expectancy and improved quality of life for women diagnosed with HER2-positive disease.

New treatments for HER2-positive (HER2+) tumors have dominated media coverage of breast cancer breakthroughs over the past year, but William Gradishar sees promise on many fronts.

The combination of everolimus, trastuzumab, and vinorelbine, as given in the BOLERO-3 trial in patients with pretreated HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, is adequately tolerated, and adverse events are manageable.