A specific study: Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009 Nov;9(11):1549-57. Lapatinib plus letrozole for postmenopausal patients with advanced HER2(+)/HR(+) breast cancer. Guarneri V. Department of Oncology Hematology and Respiratory Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia University Hospital, Modena, Italy.
guarneri.valentina@unimore.it Lapatinib is an oral, small-molecule dual inhibitor of human EGF receptor 1 (EGFR/erbB1) and 2 (HER2/erbB2). Lapatinib has recently been approved, in combination with capecitabine, for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients failing trastuzumab therapy. Data from clinical trials are consistently showing the key role of this agent in the management of HER2-positive disease. Moreover, interesting data are suggesting a key role of lapatinib in enhancing endocrine responsiveness and/or restoring endocrine sensitivity in hormone receptor-positive disease. The present article will summarize the main data leading to the clinical development of the combination of lapatinib and the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. PMID: 19895239 [PubMed - in process]
http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials...ying-6509.html "The encouraging positive results seen in women who are HR positive and ErbB2 positive shows that the lapatinib and letrozole combination has the potential to become a first-line, oral treatment option for clinicians and patients in this setting in the future," says Paolo Paoletti, SVP Oncology R&D, GSK. "We plan to discuss these data with regulators in the near future." Growth factor receptors such as those in the HER2/ErbB family play a key role in cell growth and survival.(1) Targeting these protein receptors is a way in which cancer cells can be killed and tumor growth curtailed. Approximately 70 percent of all breast cancer cases are HR+.(2) Furthermore, tumors that initially respond to AIs can become resistant, leading to disease progression and ultimately, patient death.(3) Recent studies have revealed interactions between HR and HER2/ErbB receptors as a primary contributor to the development of resistance, and served as the hypothesis basis for this study.(4)
Hybrid Mode
