According to a recent study that treatment with trastuzumab emtansine extends progression-free and overall survival with no serious safety concerns in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status (ECOG-PS), thrombocytopenia, and cancer antigen 15-3 are all correlated with survival.
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Researchers analyzed the following factors in relation
to survival: cancer antigen 15-3 sensitivity, ECOG-PS, presence or absence of
visceral metastases, presence of absence of cranial metastases, and
treatment-related thrombocytopenia.
Average progression-free and overall survival among
patients 7.8 and 21.1 months, correspondingly. With the 78 patients, 20 had an
objective tumor response.
The trastuzumab emtansine was tolerable with a manageable
safety profile, which was consistent with previous clinical studies. Prevalent
adverse events were anemia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, and increased levels of
alkaline phosphatase.
For patients with ECOG-PS=2 revealed a worse
progression-free and overall survival than those with ECOG-PS<2. For
patients with cancer antigen 15-3 – sensitive breast cancer also had worse
progression-free and overall survival.
Moreover, treatment-related thrombocytopenia was a
significant prognostic factor for survival. For patients with this condition
had 12 months progression-free survival, while those patients without this condition
had only 4.1 months progression-free survival. Similarly, overall survival was
much longer in patients with vs without thrombocytopenia (29.5 vs 11.8 months).
Researchers said that Ado-trastuzumab emtansine is an
antibody-drug conjugate that combines the cytotoxic activity of emtansine with
human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted antitumor features of
trastuzumab.
For complete details of the clinical research, click
here.
Source: J Oncol Pharm Pract 2021;27:547-554