title: Trastuzumab as adjuvant systemic therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer.
abstract: Trastuzumab has an established role for the treatment of HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer because of the success of this agent in the adjuvant setting. Several key questions about the value of trastuzumab for the treatment of breast cancer, however, still need to be answered. Various differences in patient characteristics and treatment regimens were present in the randomized trials discussed in this Review; therefore, the details of trastuzumab use need clarification. For example, the optimum timing, the ideal administration schedule, and the appropriate length of treatment are not known. Cardiotoxicity is major concern even though the results of all randomized trials have shown that the degree of cardiotoxicity with trastuzumab is acceptable -- the incidence of cardiac damage caused by trastuzumab ranged from 0.4% to 4.1% in the different trials (cumulative incidence of congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association class 3-4). Current data do not support the use of trastuzumab for more than 1 year. The analysis of 2-year treatment with trastuzumab is expected to be available in 2009.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fasolo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Benedictis
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gianni
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab