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Cardiac outcomes of trastuzumab therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Asymptomatic decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or heart failure (HF) occurs in up to 25% of patients treated with trastuzumab and can result in incomplete breast cancer therapy. The cardiac safety of continuing trastuzumab in patients with asymptomatic LVEF decline is unknown. We report the cardiac outcomes of patients treated with trastuzumab after a significant asymptomatic LVEF decline.

Methods

Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and asymptomatic LVEF decline to < 50% during trastuzumab were identified from an institutional echocardiogram database. Patients who received trastuzumab with a LVEF < 50% were classified as the continued group, whereas patients who had trastuzumab held until LVEF improved to ≥ 50% or who had trastuzumab permanently discontinued were classified as the interrupted group. Cardiac events were defined as HF (New York Heart Association class III–IV) or cardiovascular death.

Results

Sixty patients were included; the median age was 54 years. In 23 patients who continued trastuzumab, 14 (61%) tolerated trastuzumab without a cardiac event, 6 (26%) developed worsening LVEF (range 25–42%) leading to trastuzumab discontinuation, and three (13%) developed a cardiac event (1 HF, 2 possible/probable cardiovascular deaths). In 37 patients with interrupted trastuzumab, 15 (41%) were re-challenged with trastuzumab after LVEF improved to > 50%, 21 (57%) were not re-challenged, and one (3%) developed HF. More patients in the continued trastuzumab group had metastatic disease (39% vs. 5%, p = 0.002). The final LVEF after median follow-up of 633 days was similar between patients with trastuzumab continuation versus interruption (54% vs. 56%, p = 0.29).

Conclusion

Continuation of trastuzumab after an asymptomatic LVEF decline to < 50% in patients who are expected to benefit from additional anti-HER2 therapy is a promising approach that warrants further investigation.

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Funding

Dr. Yu is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute Grant K23 CA218897 and NIH/NCATS grant UL1 TR-002384. This work was funded in part through the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA008748.

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Correspondence to Anthony F. Yu.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. Dang receives research funding from Roche/Genentech and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Steingart is a consultant for Pfizer and Celgene. Dr. Yu is a consultant for Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. All remaining authors have declared no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center institutional review board and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Hussain, Y., Drill, E., Dang, C.T. et al. Cardiac outcomes of trastuzumab therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Breast Cancer Res Treat 175, 239–246 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-019-05139-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-019-05139-6

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