A total of 173 patients with metastatic (a cancer that has spread to other organs) TNBC were involved in the study. 115 patients were assigned to receive cisplatin and cetuximab together, while 58 patients received cisplatin alone. 20% of the patients treated with cisplatin plus cetuximab showed some response to treatment, compared to only...
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In a nutshell This trial compared treatment with trastuzumab (herceptin) in combination with docetaxel, to a new combination drug called trastuzumab emtansine. Some background Some breast cancer cells have certain receptors on their surface that respond to growth inducing molecules. These cancers are referred to as being human epidermal growth...
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In a nutshell The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between survival outcomes and specific adverse events (AEs) in patients after menopause (postmenopausal) with breast cancer treated with hormone therapy. Some background Most breast cancers grow in response to estrogen, the main female sex hormone. Therefore, hormone therapy...
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In a nutshell This study tested the effect of complete axillary lymph node removal, on survival without recurrence of the cancer (called disease free survival or DFS) in patients with breast cancer. Some background Lymph nodes are small organs which are part of the immune system. They filter fluid called lymph. Lymph can be thought of as the...
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In a nutshell This phase 3 clinical trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Some background Some breast cancer cells have on their surface some proteins called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) that help...
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In a nutshell This phase II clinical trial tested whether a new drug, entinostat, can work in concert with exemestane (a hormone therapy drug), to fight breast cancer that no longer responds to hormone therapy alone. Some background Some breast cancers need estrogen (a female sex hormone) to grow. These breast cancer cells respond to estrogen via...
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In a nutshell This phase 3 clinical trial tested whether everolimus (a non-hormonal treatment) added to hormone therapy with exemestane improved survival in patients with advanced breast cancer (BCa). Some background Some BCa are fueled by female sex hormones (estrogen or progesterone) that help them grow. These types of cancer are called...
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In a nutshell This study compared the effect of two regimens for hormone-positive, metastatic breast cancer on disease progression and survival: a combination of two drugs, namely anastrozole (Arimidex) and fulvestrant (Faslodex), versus anastrozole alone. Some background Breast cancers often require estrogen (the female sex...
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In a nutshell The aim of this article was to discuss the way in which the latest results on cancer DNA research apply to early-stage breast cancer. Genome analysis is highly likely to play a growing role in the future but more clinical trials are needed. Some background Breast cancer is a disease with multiple symptoms and consequences that are...
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In a nutshell In patients with recurrent breast cancer, knowledge of regional lymph node involvement serves as an important guide for disease prognosis and treatment decisions. The study presented here investigates the feasibility of “repeat sentinel node biopsy” (SNB) as a prognostic indicator instead of the more invasive “axillary...
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In a nutshell This article presents the results from the first human trial of PD 0332991, a new anti-cancer drug. The main objective of the study was to determine the safety and recommended dose for further testing. Results warrant further studies and revealed that neutropenia (low white cell count) was the main side effect. Some background Cells...
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In a nutshell This study compared the benefits of chemotherapy according to hormone receptor status. The main findings were: In cancers without hormone receptors, the benefits of adding chemotherapy were significant; In cancers with hormone receptors, chemotherapy only offered modest improvement. Some background Some...
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