title: [Herceptin plus adjuvant chemotherapy for the prognosis of patients with human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 positive early-stage breast cancer: a meta-analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of herceptin(trastuzumab) plus adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognosis of patients with human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive early-stage breast cancer by Meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Search all of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on herceptin plus adjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive early-stage breast cancer in MEDLINE, EMBase, Cochrane library, Clinical Trails, ASCO Conference data, CHKD, Wanfang Database, VIP information, scholar.google.com and SIGLE. A Meta-analysis was carried out by collecting information based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria from all papers available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Meta-analysis included 4 trials. A total of 9116 patients were included in the analysis(4555 in the study group and 4561 in the control group). There were statistical differences between the study group(herceptin plus adjuvant chemotherapy) and the control group(adjuvant chemotherapy) in the disease-free survival rate [relative risk(RR)=1.08, 95% CI, 1.06-1.09, P<0.001], the overall survival rate(RR=1.01, 95% CI, 1.01-1.02, P=0.0003), the distant recurrence rate(RR=0.49, 95% CI, 0.42-0.57, P<0.001), and the cardiac events rate (RR=3.93,95% CI, 1.03-15.06, P=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Herceptin plus adjuvant chemotherapy can improve the disease-free survival rate and the overall survival rate, decrease distant recurrence rate of patients with HER2 positive early-stage breast cancer, but may cause heart toxicity, especially when combined with anthracycline (doxorubicin).
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chun-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shao-Ai
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Fang-Gen
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Mian-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiao-Ge
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human