title: Brain metastases in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy with or without trastuzumab.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess whether trastuzumab usage is a risk factor for the development of brain metastasis (BM) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and factors affecting survival after development of BM.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-two patients treated with (treatment group) or without trastuzumab (control group) with brain metastasis were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety of the 132 HER2-positive MBC patients were in the treatment group and 42 were in the control group. BM was significantly increased in patients who were treated with trastuzumab in two or more lines (58.5 vs 24.1 %, p < 0.001). Trastuzumab and lapatinib usage after BM and age were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk for BM was increased in patients who were treated with trastuzumab in two or more lines. Using trastuzumab and lapatinib after BM and age were independent prognostic factors for time to death from BM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey, drmalikaplan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ertugrul
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Firat
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucukoner
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: İnal
authors.forename: Zuhat
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Urakci
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pekkolay
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isikdogan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068878:Trastuzumab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human