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The epidermal growth factor receptor HER2 is overexpressed in 20% to 25% of all breast cancers. Trastuzumab (Herceptin), a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the extracellular domain of HER2, has significantly improved outcomes among patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer and advanced disease. Lapatinib is a new orally administered, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of HER1 and HER2 that has antitumor activity when used as a single agent in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, including inflammatory breast cancer.
Researchers conducted an industry-sponsored, international, randomized, open-label trial in which 324 patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (that had progressed during t…