title: The combination of weekly trastuzumab plus vinorelbine may be preferable regimen in HER-2 positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.
abstract: Brain metastasis is one of the most important life-threatening conditions in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer. A lot of conventional chemotherapeutic and antibody-based regimens used routinely in treatment of the patients with breast cancer are not effective due to blood-brain barrier. In our cases, we reported on three HER-2 positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis who were offered a combination of weekly trastuzumab plus vinorelbine after brain metastasis. In our cases, the progression-free survival were 12, 16 and 9 months for Case 1, Case 2 and Case 3, respectively. In Case 1, there was no progression in the brain. In Case 3, we did not detect any progress but the patient died due to cerebrovascular embolic events. After local treatment, the combination of weekly trastuzumab plus vinorelbine may be an effective alternative regimen in HER-2 positive breast cancer patients with brain metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey doktorhasanmutlu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Acıbadem University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Büyükçelik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D000068878:Trastuzumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D014747:Vinblastine; D000077235:Vinorelbine; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: Breast cancer; brain metastasis; herceptin; trastuzumab; vinorelbine