Trastuzumab for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Major Step Forward

In these studies, addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy significantly reduced risk for a first event, including breast cancer recurrence, second primary cancer, and death.

Trastuzumab is the humanized version of a mouse monoclonal antibody with high affinity for the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein. The October 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports the results of three clinical trials assessing the use of trastuzumab in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

The first report presents results from a trial (supported by the manufacturer of trastuzumab) that enrolled women with nonmetastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who had completed surgery, with or without radiation therapy, and at least four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy. The researchers randomized 3387 women (median age, 49) to observation alone or to 1 year of intravenous trastuzumab. After a median follo…

Reviewing Author

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD