Abstract
With the reporting of five studies with different and complementary designs, but all
demonstrating a similar and striking benefit from the targeted drug trastuzumab in
HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, the year 2005 has profoundly marked the history
of randomised adjuvant breast cancer trials. In view of the halving in recurrence
risk, obtained at the real but small risk of cardiotoxicity, these results are generating
hope in women affected with this aggressive form of the disease. But at the same time
these results pose real challenges to healthcare authorities faced with the high cost
of the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody. These results also leave oncologists and patients
to deal with a complex treatment tailoring process that needs to take into account
risk of an early relapse as well as the benefit versus risk of trastuzumab according
to the different patterns of administration used in the clinical trials.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 27,
2006
Received:
April 21,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
