for those who love to read it in writing---prognosis of her2+ brain mets exceed her2-

[Lani]

: Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2008 Dec 13;152(50):2701-6.

[Brain metastases in breast cancer: a special disease course for HER2 positive tumors]

[Article in Dutch]

Hurkens KP, Hupperets PS, Creemers GJ, Erdkamp FL, van de Vijver KK, Tjan-Heijnen VC.
Afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht.
HER2 positive breast cancers are characterized by their aggressive course of disease. Treatment with trastuzumab has significantly improved survival of patients with these cancers. Trastuzumab has few side effects, although in 10-15% of cases it is necessary to interrupt therapy because of cardiotoxicity, in most cases temporarily. It has become clear that patients receiving trastuzumab more frequently develop brain metastases than patients with a HER2 negative tumor. It is important to realize that patients with brain metastases from a HER2 positive breast tumor have a more favorable prognosis than patients with brain metastases from a HER2 negative tumor. Continuation of treatment with trastuzumab should be considered, next to the surgical intervention and/ or radiotherapy. Recently, lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was registered by EMEA for patients with a HER2 positive tumor after previous treatment with anthracyclines, taxanes and trastuzumab. In combination with capacitabine, this agent leads to partial responses of cerebral metastases. More HER2 targeting drugs are expected to be introduced.
PMID: 19192581