Herceptin Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herceptin, including details on side-effects, breast cancer, treatment, therapy.

The safety of dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel with trastuzumab in HER-2/neu overexpressed/amplified breast cancer.

Dang C, Fornier M, Sugarman S, Troso-Sandoval T, Lake D, D'Andrea G, Seidman A, Sklarin N, Dickler M, Currie V, Gilewski T, Moynahan ME, Drullinsky P, Robson M, Wasserheit-Leiblich C, Mills N, Steingart R, Panageas K, Norton L, Hudis C

Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, Howard 713, New York, NY 10021, USA. dangc@mskcc.org

PURPOSE: Dose-dense (dd) doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by paclitaxel (P) is superior to every 3-weekly AC followed by P. Given the demonstrated cardiac safety for trastuzumab (T) with conventionally scheduled AC followed by P, we tested the safety of dd AC followed by P with T. The primary end point was cardiac safety, and the secondary end points were time to recurrence and overall survival. METHODS: Patients with HER-2/neu immunohistochemistry (IHC) 3+ or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)-amplified breast cancer and baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of >or= 55% were enrolled, regardless of tumor size or nodal status. Treatment consisted of AC (60/600 mg/m(2)) x 4 followed by P (175 mg/m(2)) x 4 every 2-weekly with pegfilgrastim (6 mg on day 2) + T x1 year. LVEF by radionuclide scan was obtained at baseline, at months 2, 6, 9, and 18. RESULTS: From January 2005 to November 2005, 70 patients were enrolled. The median age was 49 years (range, 27 to 72 years); median LVEF at baseline was 68% (range, 55% to 81%). At month 2 in 70 of 70 patients, the median LVEF was 67% (range, 58% to 79%); at month 6 in 67 of 70 patients, it was 66% (range, 52% to 75%); at month 9 in 68 of 70 patients, it was 65% (range, 50% to 75%); and at month 18 in 48 of 70 patients, it was 66% (range, 57% to 75%). As of December 1, 2007, the median follow-up was 28 months (range, 25 to 35 months). One patient (1%) experienced congestive heart failure (CHF). There were no cardiac deaths. CONCLUSION: Dose-dense AC followed by P/T followed by T is feasible and is not likely to increase the incidence of cardiac events compared to established regimens.

Published 7 March 2008 in J Clin Oncol, 26(8): 1216-22.
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