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.

Do HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer patients benefit from the use of trastuzumab beyond disease progression? A mono-institutional experience and systematic review of observational studies.

Fabi A, Metro G, Ferretti G, Giannarelli D, Di Cosimo S, Papaldo P, Mottolese M, Carlini P, Felici A, Russillo M, Cognetti F

Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.

Though preclinical evidence supports the protracted use of trastuzumab to reach sustained anti-tumor activity, the activity of trastuzumab beyond disease progression remains controversial in HER-2 over-expressing (HER-2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. We retrospectively evaluated a total of 59 patients with HER-2+MBC treated at our institution with trastuzumab-based therapies. Our results were added to those obtained in similar observational studies and summary estimates for overall response (OR) and clinical benefit (CB) to first and second trastuzumab-based lines were calculated. In our series of patients we observed an OR of 59.3% and 27% for first and second trastuzumab-based lines, respectively, with a corresponding CB of 83% and 62.2%, respectively. Time to first and second progression were 9.5 months and 6.7 months, respectively. The combined analysis showed an OR of 50% for first trastuzumab-based regimen and 21.2% for second trastuzumab-based line. The corresponding values for CB were 77.6% and 42.6%, respectively. A second trastuzumab-containing regimen beyond progression yields a considerable rate of OR and CB in HER-2+MBC patients. Randomized trials are warranted.

Published 2 May 2008 in Breast.
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