Lapatinib
Researchers from the U.S. have reported results from two trials that suggest the biological therapy drug called lapatinib produces anti-cancer responses in patients with metastatic breast cancer. These results were presented at the 29th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress held in Vienna, Austria, October 29- November 2, 2004.
Lapatinib is a biological therapy that inhibits the ErbB1 and ErbB2 receptors, which are proteins located on the surface of some cells. The ErbB receptors are involved in helping cancer cells proliferate and survive. ErbB1 and ErbB2 may be overexpressed, or present in quantities greater than normal, on the surface of some cancer cells, including breast cancer cells. Overexpression of ErbB1 and ErbB2 appears to be associated with poor prognosis and reduced overall survival.
Preliminary findings from the first study presented at ESMO suggest that patients with metastatic breast cancer that has progressed with Herceptin®-containing regimens may benefit from lapatinib. There were 41 patients involved in this preliminary analysis. The majority of patients had received prior therapy (59%). Approximately one-third of the patients were free from cancer progression at 16 weeks after lapatinib treatment. (see Table 1)[1] This trial is ongoing and will include 80 patients in its final analysis.
The second study of lapatinib presented at ESMO also consisted of preliminary data. U.S. researchers reported that 3 patients with metastatic breast cancer experienced partial responses to lapatinib (see Table 1). The 40 patients involved in this study had cancer that had progressed after Herceptin®-containing therapy and all of them had received prior chemotherapy consisting of anthracyclines, taxanes, and capecitabine
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