Trastuzumab treatment in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma overexpressing HER2/neu.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of trastuzumab in patients with progressive or recurrent metastatic endometrial carcinoma shown by immunohistochemistry to overexpress the HER2/neu receptor.


METHODS
Disease progression was examined in 2 patients who met the study criteria, had c-erbB2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and were treated with trastuzumab following radiation treatment and/or salvage chemotherapy.


RESULTS
The clinical responses to trastuzumab as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy were confirmed in both patients by serial CT scans and serum CA-125 evaluations. These patients with progressive or recurrent metastatic disease experienced relief from their symptoms and prolonged survival with no significant toxicity observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Trastuzumab may be a viable therapeutic option as single agent or in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced, recurrent, and/or metastatic endometrial carcinomas overexpressing HER2/neu.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8063, USA. alessandro.santin@yale.edu
Alessandro D
AD
Santin
Stefania
S
Bellone
Juan J
JJ
Roman
Jesse K
JK
McKenney
Sergio
S
Pecorelli
D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018734:Genes, erbB-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068878:Trastuzumab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab