title: Lapatinib-based therapy for women with advanced/metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lapatinib alone or in combination with other agents, mostly capecitabine is used for patients with advanced/metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer (HER2(+)BC) after progression on trastuzumab based therapy. Here we report our experience with lapatinib based therapy in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  67 consecutive patients received lapatinib based therapy. 58 (86.6%) received lapatinib + capecitabine (LC), 7 (10.4%) with other agents and 2 (3.0%) as single agent lapatinib. Data was collected from patients' records retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objective response to lapatinib based therapy in 64 evaluable patients was 64.0% in all patients and 64.0% in patients who received LC. Median progression free survival and overall survival were 10 and 27 months in all patients and 10 and 17 months in patients who received LC, respectively. 16 (24.0%) patients had dose delay > 1 week and/or dose reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lapatinib based therapy is an effective treatment for women with advanced/metastatic HER2(+)BC after prior exposure to trastuzumab. It yields meaningful response rates, progression free and overall survival. Some patients require dose adjustments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital &amp; Research Centre, Jeddah 21499, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zekri
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, King Abdullah Medical City and Oncology Center, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Al-Faisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, King Abdullah Medical City and Oncology Center, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Foheidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital &amp; Research Centre, Jeddah 21499, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Rehaily
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, King Fahad Hospital, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahrous
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Erfan Hospital, Jeddah 23442, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D000077341:Lapatinib; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077341:Lapatinib; D011799:Quinazolines; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human