Long-term survival in a patient with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer undergoing lapatinib-based therapy for 6 years

We report the case of a patient with HER2-positive breast cancer under adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy and trastuzumab) who developed a recurrence with bone (cervical spine) and lung involvement. After treatment with lapatinib and capecitabine, the patient remained stable with considerable improvement of her physical condition. After 6 years she is still in maintenance therapy with lapatinib. This case is among a number of long term surviving and long term responding patients, within an atypical subset of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, in the presence of encephalic lesions (Oncology).