title: Lapatinib plus letrozole for postmenopausal patients with advanced HER2(+)/HR(+) breast cancer.
abstract: Lapatinib is an oral, small-molecule dual inhibitor of human EGF receptor 1 (EGFR/erbB1) and 2 (HER2/erbB2). Lapatinib has recently been approved, in combination with capecitabine, for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients failing trastuzumab therapy. Data from clinical trials are consistently showing the key role of this agent in the management of HER2-positive disease. Moreover, interesting data are suggesting a key role of lapatinib in enhancing endocrine responsiveness and/or restoring endocrine sensitivity in hormone receptor-positive disease. The present article will summarize the main data leading to the clinical development of the combination of lapatinib and the aromatase inhibitor letrozole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Hematology and Respiratory Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia University Hospital, Modena, Italy. guarneri.valentina@unimore.it
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guarneri
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D000077341:Lapatinib; D000077289:Letrozole; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000077341:Lapatinib; D000077289:Letrozole; D009570:Nitriles; D011799:Quinazolines; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D014230:Triazoles; C512478:EGFR protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human