Trastuzumab is more effective and less toxic than lapatinib, and combining the two agents is superior to using either one alone.
Early results of two industry-sponsored, randomized, phase-III trials — presented at the 2010 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium — suggested that the targeted agents lapatinib and trastuzumab were effective in the preoperative setting in women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (JW Oncol Hematol Jan 25 2011). Now, further results of these studies have been reported.
In the multinational, open-label NeoALTTO trial, 455 patients with HER2-positive, early breast cancer received oral lapatinib (1500 mg daily), intravenous trastuzumab (standard dose), or lapatinib (1000 mg/day) plus trastuzumab for 6 weeks. Weekly paclitaxel was then added for 12 weeks followed by definitive surgery and the same preoperat…
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)