Breast cancer research and treatment
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Breast Cancer Res. Treat. · Apr 2012
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPilot neoadjuvant trial in HER2 positive breast cancer with combination of nab-paclitaxel and lapatinib.
Lapatinib, a dual kinase inhibitor against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal receptor two (HER2) has shown efficacy in treating HER2 positive breast cancer. Nanoparticle albumin bound (nab) paclitaxel was developed to reduce toxicities from paclitaxel and improve its efficacy. Thirty patients with stage I-III HER2 positive breast cancer were treated in the neoadjuvant setting with lapatinib 1,000 mg/day and nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks for four cycles. ⋯ Of the tissue markers examined, we were not able to find a predictor of response. The combination of lapatinib and nab-paclitaxel was well tolerated and provided good efficacy in women with HER2 positive breast cancer. This combination offers an alternative non-anthracycline-containing regimen for women with HER2 positive breast cancer.
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Breast Cancer Res. Treat. · Apr 2012
Multicenter StudyPhase II trial of preoperative paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and trastuzumab combination therapy in HER2 positive stage II/III breast cancer: the Korean Cancer Study Group BR 07-01.
An addition of trastuzumab preoperatively to chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer improved relapse-free survival (RFS). This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of preoperative paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and trastuzumab (PGH) combination for HER2-positive breast caner. Pathologically, proven node positive stage II/III breast cancer patients with adequate organ function and no history of anti-cancer therapy were eligible. ⋯ With a median follow-up of 40 months, 3-year RFS rate was 84% with 91.7% distant metastasis-free survival rates. Remarkable pCR rate was obtained with non-anthracycline-based PGH therapy for HER2-positive stage II/III breast cancer. Adverse events were mild with few incidences of febrile neutropenia.
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Breast Cancer Res. Treat. · Apr 2012
Responsiveness of adjacent ductal carcinoma in situ and changes in HER2 status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy/trastuzumab treatment in early breast cancer--results from the GeparQuattro study (GBG 40).
Adjacent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is found in approximately 45% of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) of the breast. Pure DCIS overexpresses HER2 in approximately 45%. There is uncertainty whether adjacent DCIS impacts on the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab as well as whether HER2 expression in IDC component or adjacent DCIS changes throughout treatment. ⋯ HER2-positive IDCs with adjacent DCIS is less responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab compared to pure IDC. However, complete eradication of adjacent DCIS is frequently observed. HER2-overexpression of the invasive ductal component decreases in a subset of tumors, which showed less tumor regression.