Will pertuzumab find its place in an neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

04/2018

MUDr. Markéta Protivánková

Interní hematologická a onkologická klinika LF MU a FN Brno

SUMMARY

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, which is given before a local procedure that leads to the removal of the tumor. In the treatment of breast cancer, it is intended especially for the patients in whom we want to achieve the downstaging of the tumor in order to improve its operability and to achieve breast conserving surgery. Although there is currently no longer long-term survival in patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients who achieve complete pathological remission (pCR) have a better long-term prognosis. In patients with HER2 positive tumors, a significantly higher number of pCR is achieved if trastuzumab is added to neoadjuvant treatment, when dual blockade is added to the combination via simultaneous administration of trastuzumab and pertuzumab with chemotherapy, the pCR almost doubles. For this reason, pertuzumab should be used as a essential component of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk HER2-positive breast cancer in combination with trastuzumab.

KEY WORDS

neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast cancer, pertuzumab