this is merely a case report (report of a single patient) but as the international gold standard as I understand it has been to continue herceptin as long as NED, this might be pause for thoughtL
Tumori. 2007 Sep-Oct;93(5):491-2.
When should trastuzumab be stopped after achieving complete response in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients?
Beda M, Basso U, Ghiotto C, Monfardini S.
Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IOV, Padua, Italy.
m.beda@libero.it
We report the case of a woman with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who achieved prolonged complete remission of multiple liver metastases after treatment with weekly trastuzumab plus paclitaxel but relapsed in the brain soon after stopping trastuzumab maintenance therapy which had been prosecuted for almost three years. In the absence of randomized trials, the optimal duration of trastuzumab administration after achieving complete remission of metastatic breast cancer remains questionable.
PMID: 18038883 [PubMed - in process]
Since her recurrence occurred in her brain, it might have occurred anyway, but the timing of this was uncanny...