Taxanes Plus Trastuzumab Compared To Oral Vinorelbine Plus Trastuzumab in HER2-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: This retrospective analysis was planned as a direct comparison of taxanes plus trastuzumab to the less toxic combination of oral vinorelbine (OV) plus trastuzumab as a first-line therapy for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients (n = 76) receiving either taxanes (group A) or OV (group B) in combination with trastuzumab were identified from a breast cancer database. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the primary study endpoint; secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response rate (RR), incidence of brain metastases, and brain metastases-free survival (BMFS).

Ovarian function suppression and fulvestrant as endocrine therapy in premenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.

Background: Endocrine therapy is the preferred treatment for hormone-receptor (HR) positive metastatic breast cancer. In premenopausal patients, ovarian function suppression with goserelin in combination with anastrozole yielded promising results in phase II studies. Fulvestrant, a pure antioestrogen, yields high rates of disease stabilisation in postmenopausal women.

Brain metastases free survival differs between breast cancer subtypes.

Background: Brain metastases (BM) are frequently diagnosed in patients with HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer; in addition, an increasing incidence was reported for triple-negative tumours. We aimed to compare brain metastases free survival (BMFS) of breast cancer subtypes in patients treated between 1996 until 2010.

Methods: Brain metastases free survival was measured as the interval from diagnosis of extracranial breast cancer metastases until diagnosis of BM.

Impact of anti-HER2 therapy on overall survival in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer patients with brain metastases.

Background: Trastuzumab-based therapy after diagnosis of brain metastases (BM) may improve survival due to prolonged systemic disease control. We investigated whether lapatinib may yield additional survival benefit.

Methods: Eighty patients with BM from HER2-positive breast cancer were identified.

Pilot study on sex hormone levels and fertility in women with malignant gliomas.

The standard treatment of patients with high-grade gliomas based on conformal radiation therapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) may induce endocrine deficiencies of pituitary and subsequently also of peripheral hormones. In 24 premenopausal women with high-grade gliomas treated with RT and CT, hormonal changes and their impact on quality of life were investigated. Serum concentrations of gonadal, pituitary and of thyroid hormones were measured at various time points after initial anti-neoplastic therapy.