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Lapatinib monotherapy effective for refractory inflammatory breast cancer
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Monotherapy with lapatinib may be an effective treatment in people with relapsed or refractory HER2–positive inflammatory breast cancer, according to the results of an open-label, nonrandomized phase-2 study.
Researchers assigned 126 patients with relapsed or refractory HER2–positive inflammatory breast cancer to 1,500 mg of lapatinib (Tykerb, SmithKline Beecham) daily. The study duration was from March 2005 to September 2007.
Partial response was noted in 39% of patients (95% CI, 30-48); no patients had complete response. The median OS was higher among those who responded to lapatinib (18.4 months) compared with those who did not respond (8.4 months).
The median PFS was 14.6 weeks (95% CI, 12.1-16.0) and the median duration of response was 20.9 weeks (95% CI, 12.7-32.1), according to the researchers.
At least one adverse event occurred in 92% of patients; serious adverse events occurred in 32% of patients. Dyspnea and pleural effusion were the most common adverse events.
“The objective response rate noted in these treatment-refractory patients coupled with the median duration of response and median OS supports a role for lapatinib in these patients,” the researchers wrote.
Kaufman B. Lancet Oncol. 2009;doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(09)70087-7.