Patients 80 years of age and older were less likely to complete adjuvant therapy.
The use of adjuvant trastuzumab has dramatically changed the natural history of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. The adverse-effect profile of trastuzumab, including cardiac toxicity, has been well defined, thanks to several well-designed international clinical trials involving thousands of patients with long-term follow-up. However, we do not have sufficient data to understand the toxicity of trastuzumab in elderly patients.
To examine this issue, investigators studied 2028 HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer patients (age, ≥66) who were identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database. Of this cohort, 81.7% completed a course of trastuzumab therapy (defined as …
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardLilly; AstraZeneca; Gilead
Grant/Research SupportBreast Cancer Research Foundation
Editorial BoardsClinical Breast Cancer; Oncology; Annals of Surgery; Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (Chair, Breast Cancer Panel); American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology Board)
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardLilly; AstraZeneca; Gilead
Grant/Research SupportBreast Cancer Research Foundation
Editorial BoardsClinical Breast Cancer; Oncology; Annals of Surgery; Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (Chair, Breast Cancer Panel); American Board of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology Board)