Clinical breast cancer
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Clinical breast cancer · Aug 2005
Evaluation of clinical outcomes according to HER2 detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization in women with metastatic breast cancer treated with trastuzumab.
We evaluated the influence of HER2 gene amplification, as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), on clinical outcomes (objective response rates, time to disease progression, and overall survival time) in women with metastatic breast cancer treated with trastuzumab in 3 clinical trials. Breast cancer tissue specimens were evaluated using a direct labeled, dual-probe FISH assay. ⋯ These data indicate that assessment of HER2 amplification by FISH is the preferred method to select patients for trastuzumab therapy.
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Clinical breast cancer · Aug 2005
Hormone receptor status does not affect the clinical benefit of trastuzumab therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of breast cancer proliferation. The impact of HR status on the clinical outcome of patients with HER2-overexpressing disease treated with the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab is unknown. ⋯ Hormone receptor status did not affect the clinical benefit of trastuzumab given as a single agent or combined with chemotherapy. The addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy provides an improved clinical benefit compared with chemotherapy alone, regardless of HR status.