A population-based study on the first forty-eight breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab (Herceptin) on a named patient basis in Sweden.
Several studies have presented data on the efficacy and tolerability of trastuzumab within clinical trials. As a minority of patients is included in these trials, we undertook this retrospective study to describe trastuzumab therapy in clinical routine and its tolerability. We reviewed the medical records of the first 48 patients in Sweden who received treatment with trastuzumab on a named patient basis with (n = 29) and without (n = 19) chemotherapy. Forty-six patients had metastatic disease and had failed to respond to several prior regimens before starting antibody treatment. Two patients had locally advanced breast cancer failing on given neoadjuvant therapy. Patients with breast cancers with strong (3+) c-erbB-2 overexpression tended to have an improved survival from start of trastuzumab treatment versus those with a moderate (2+) overexpression (p = 0.09). Adverse events were registered in 22 patients (46%). The most common and acute side effects were fever and chills (7 patients, 15%). The toxicity seemed reasonable but two patients (4%) suffered serious cardiac events, both of them having received previous treatment with antracyclines.
Department of Oncology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. jenny.andersson@cck.ki.se
Jenny
J
Andersson
Barbro
B
Linderholm
Gudrun
G
Greim
Birgitta
B
Lindh
Henrik
H
Lindman
Jan
J
Tennvall
Lena
L
Tennvall-Nittby
Dagny
D
Pettersson-Sköld
Asgerdur
A
Sverrisdottir
Martin
M
Söderberg
Sigrid
S
Klaar
Jonas
J
Bergh
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068878:Trastuzumab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab