Trastuzumab and vinorelbine in early stages of HER2-positive breast cancer

J Chemother. 2011 Feb;23(1):32-5. doi: 10.1179/joc.2011.23.1.32.

Abstract

The combination of vinorelbine and trastuzumab (VH) is highly active and well tolerated in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. We assessed the efficacy and tolerability of VH as an alternative adjuvant treatment for patients with localized breast cancer refusing or ineligible for standard adjuvant trastuzumab-based chemotherapy. Twenty-eight patients with stage I-III breast cancer were treated only with VH as preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy. Fourteen patients received VH as adjuvant treatment for pT1a-b pN0 or eR+ pT1c pN0 cancers. VH was well tolerated, the only grade 3-4 toxicity being neutropenia with 2 cases of febrile neutropenia. At a median follow-up of 39 months, no breast cancer relapses were documented; moreover, overall and disease-free survival was 96.4%. In summary, our results indicate that VH is effective and well tolerated. VH should be prospectively tested as adjuvant treatment for pN0 pT1a-b breast cancer patients for which no standard treatment is well defined.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Drug Tolerance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Neutropenia / chemically induced
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / biosynthesis*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Trastuzumab
  • Vinblastine / administration & dosage
  • Vinblastine / adverse effects
  • Vinblastine / analogs & derivatives
  • Vinorelbine

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Vinblastine
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Trastuzumab
  • Vinorelbine