title: [Herceptin as a single agent in patients with HER2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of Herceptin as a single agent in patients with HER2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were two kinds of therapy protocol. One was loading-dose of 4 mg/kg intravenously, followed by a 2 mg/kg maintenance dose of weekly intervals. The other was loading-dose of 8 mg/kg, followed by 6 mg/kg of every three weeks intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 20 patients with evaluated efficacy, there was no complete response, 5 patients (25.0%) showed partial response (PR), 5 (25.0%) stable disease (SD) and 10 (50.0%) progressive disease (PD). Of 22 patients, the overall response rate was 22.7%. The median time of disease progression and treatment failure was 6 weeks and 6.5 weeks, respectively. The most common adverse reactions were fever and chill. Cardiac symptoms could be seen in some patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Herceptin is an active agent for the patients with HER2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer and the adverse events are well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Cancer, Hospital Affiliated Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing 100039, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ze-fei
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: San-tai
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xiao-qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing-xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab