Recommendations of the Swiss Breast Cancer Expert Forum - Adjuvant therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab

The adjuvant therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer changed considerably within the last few years with the presentations and publications of the four phase III adjuvant trials with trastuzumab (Herceptin®) (HERA [1] , NSABP B-31 [2], NCCTG N9831 [2] and BCIRG 006 [3] ). Although there is a wealth of data, a lot of clinical questions are unanswered to date. The goal of this Expert Forum on adjuvant therapy with trastuzumab was to discuss relevant questions from the clinical setting, display different aspects, find commonness but also to demonstrate controversies. For this reason, clinical oncologists and an expert in cardiology met in August 26 2006 in Lucerne.

References:

• 01 Piccart-Gebhart MJ . et al . Trastuzumab after adjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer.  N Engl J Med. 2005;  353 1659-1672
• 02 Romond EH . et al . Trastuzumab plus adjuvant chemotherapy for operable HER2-positive breast cancer.  N Engl J Med. 2005;  353 1673-1684
• 03 Slamon D, Eiermann W, Robert N et al. Phase III randomized trial comparing doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (ACT) with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel and trastuzumab (ACTH) with docetaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCH) in HER2-positive early breast cancer patients: BCIRG 006 study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2005; 94: S5 (supp 1; abstr 1). 
• 04 Press MF . et al . Diagnostic evaluation of HER2 as a molecular target: an assessment of accuracy and reproducibility of laboratory testing in large, prospective, randomized clinical trials.  Clin Cancer Res. 2005;  11 6598-6607
• 05 Suter TM, Ewer MS. Trastuzumab-Associated Cardiotoxicity. In Cancer and the Heart. BC Decker 2006.