Studies help clarify the role of lapatinib and trastuzumab in treating HER2 positive breast cancer
Monday, January 16, 2012 - 18:30
in Health & Medicine
In patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, Tykerb (lapatinib) has been used both in combination with herceptin (trastuzumab) and as an alternative single-agent therapy for pre-surgery (neo-adjuvant) chemotherapy treatment. Two new studies are published today on these drugs. One published by The Lancet Oncology, showing lapatinib to be less beneficial than trastuzumab for single-agent therapy, and one by The Lancet showing that combining both drugs appears almost twice as effective as single-agent therapy (although lapatinib causes more side-effects).