title: Long-term Follow-up Data from Pivotal Studies of Adjuvant Trastuzumab in Early Breast Cancer.
abstract: The addition of adjuvant trastuzumab therapy for 1 year to standard chemotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival and overall survival versus chemotherapy alone in a number of pivotal early breast cancer studies. Here we review long-term follow-up data on the efficacy, cardiac safety, and general safety of trastuzumab in these pivotal studies. We also evaluate ongoing phase II/III adjuvant trials with newer HER2-targeted agents and the efficacy and safety of the recently developed subcutaneous (SC) formulation of trastuzumab in early breast cancer. Long-term follow-up data confirm the significant survival benefit afforded by the addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive disease, with an acceptable safety profile. Long-term cardiac safety data suggest that the incidence of cardiac adverse events is maintained at a relatively low level with continued follow-up. At this present time, 1 year of trastuzumab treatment remains the standard of care in HER2-positive early breast cancer. Future adjuvant trastuzumab treatment strategies should focus on reducing cardiotoxicity, particularly in elderly patients, by identifying potential predictive biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction. Clinicians must also decide whether to omit trastuzumab in women who would achieve little benefit from treatment to avoid cardiotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Hartmut.Kristeleit@gstt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kristeleit
authors.affiliation: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Kingston NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parton
authors.affiliation: Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK.|Bath University, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.affiliation: Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Iain R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.affiliation: St George's Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rajan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Roche Products Ltd, Welwyn Garden City, UK.
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.affiliation: St George's Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Muireann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelleher
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000068878:Trastuzumab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068878:Trastuzumab