Open AccessTrastuzumab improves locoregional control in HER2-positive breast cancer patients following adjuvant radiotherapy
Author(s) -
Lu Cao,
Gang Cai,
Fei Xu,
Yang Zhao,
Xiao Yu,
Li Jin,
Qian Zhang,
Jiong Wu,
Xinying Guo,
Jia Yi Chen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000004230
Subject(s) - medicine , trastuzumab , adjuvant , breast cancer , radiation therapy , oncology , adjuvant radiotherapy , cancer
The benefit of adjuvant trastuzumab in disease-free and overall survival for human epidermal receptor 2–positive (HER2+) breast cancer patients is well established. However, the effect of trastuzumab on locoregional control remains unclear, particularly in patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). In this study, we investigated the locoregional benefit of trastuzumab in patients with HER2+ breast cancer after adjuvant RT. Using a single institutional database, we identified 278 patients with stage II/III invasive HER2+ breast tumors receiving adjuvant RT between January 2008 and July 2011. We compared the locoregional outcomes of 134 patients who received trastuzumab to 144 patients without trastuzumab within the same period. Clinical and biological factors that might impact on the locoregional benefit of trastuzumab were also assessed. At the median follow-up of 45 months, trastuzumab significantly lowered the risk of locoregional recurrence (LRR) with a 3-year LRR rate of 2.4% versus 7.5% for the cohort with and without trastuzumab ( P = 0.019). Trastuzumab was associated with a more significant locoregional benefit in the hormone receptor–positive (HR+)/HER2+ subgroup, with a 3-year LRR of 0% versus 6.7% in the cohort with and without trastuzumab ( P = 0.027). For HR−/HER2+ breast tumor patients, the 3-year LRR rate was still lower for the cohort with trastuzumab (4.7% vs 8.6%). However, statistical significance was not found ( P = 0.179). Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that trastuzumab treatment was the only significant predictive factor for LRR (hazard ratio, 4.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–15.35; P = 0.039). Adjuvant trastuzumab in addition to RT is associated with significant reduced LRR risk in HER2+ breast cancer.