Lack of trastuzumab activity in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with overexpression of erb-B2: 39810: a phase II trial of Cancer and Leukemia Group B.
BACKGROUND
The overexpression of HER-2 occurs in a minority of patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. Trastuzumab, which is a monoclonal antibody to HER-2, is an effective treatment in some women with breast carcinomas that overexpress HER-2, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. The objective of this Phase II study was to determine whether trastuzumab would effect responses in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma who had tumors that overexpressed HER-2.


METHODS
Patients were required to have Stage IIIB or Stage IV nonsmall cell lung carcinoma and tumors with 2+ or 3+ expression of HER-2, as determined with immunohistochemistry, and they may have received up to 1 prior chemotherapy regimen. Trastuzumab at a dose of 4 mg/kg was given intravenously on Week 1; then, weekly doses of 2 mg/kg were given. Response revaluation was performed every 8 weeks.


RESULTS
Among 209 screened patients, 24 patients (11%) had tumors with 2+ or 3+ expression of HER-2. One patient achieved a partial response, and one patient experienced a treatment-related death due to pulmonary toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Single-agent trastuzumab did not exhibit significant clinical activity against nonsmall cell lung carcinoma when HER-2 expression levels were measured by immunohistochemistry.
Clamon
Gerald
G
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1099, USA. gerald-clamon@uiowa.edu
Herndon
James
J
Kern
Jeffrey
J
Govindan
Ramaswamy
R
Garst
Jennifer
J
Watson
Dorothy
D
Green
Mark
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab