title: Taxanes Plus Trastuzumab Compared To Oral Vinorelbine Plus Trastuzumab in HER2-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This retrospective analysis was planned as a direct comparison of taxanes plus trastuzumab to the less toxic combination of oral vinorelbine (OV) plus trastuzumab as a first-line therapy for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 76) receiving either taxanes (group A) or OV (group B) in combination with trastuzumab were identified from a breast cancer database. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the primary study endpoint; secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response rate (RR), incidence of brain metastases, and brain metastases-free survival (BMFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  36 patients received taxanes and 40 patients OV in combination with trastuzumab. At a median follow-up of 47.5 months, median PFS was 7 months (group A) and 9 months in group B (log-rank; non-significant), respective numbers for OS were 49 and 59 months (p = 0.033). The incidence of brain metastases did not differ significantly between the 2 treatment groups, whereas BMFS was significantly longer in patients receiving OV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OV plus trastuzumab yielded similar results in terms of PFS and RR and was superior in terms of OS and BMFS. These results add to the growing body of evidence that vinorelbine is a viable alternative to taxanes in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anna S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Berghoff
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudas
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dubsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, LKH Feldkirch, Austria.
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, LKH Feldkirch, Austria.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sattlberger
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zagouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, LKH Kirchdorf, Austria.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sparber
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, KH Barmherzigen Schwestern Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fitzal
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gnant
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rottenfusser
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preusser
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Guenther G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Steger
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Austria ; Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartsch
keywords: Brain metastases; HER2-positive breast cancer; Metastatic breast cancer; Oral vinorelbine; Taxanes; Trastuzumab