CHICAGO — Nearly all patients who were diverted from chemotherapy prior to surgery for HER2-positive early breast cancer survived without cancer recurrence for 3 years, according to new findings from a phase 2 trial., presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, provide more evidence to support a strategy that avoids chemotherapy as long as patients show signs of response to hormone therapy via PET scans. The results revealed that 98.
As Dr. Cortés noted, HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab have improved lifespans in women with HER2-positive early breast cancer, sparking interest in whether chemotherapy can be de-escalated. The PHERgain study examines whether it can be avoided entirely. in 2021.
The new analysis tracked patients for 3 years after they underwent surgery . As previously noted, at a median follow-up of 43.3 months , only 1 of 86 patients in group B who didn't receive chemotherapy had a recurrence of cancer . The 98.8% invasive disease-free survival rate was higher that what was seen for patients in group B as a whole . The 95.4% met the study's second primary endpoint.
In an interview, Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, an oncologist at Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, and cochair of the session where the study data was presented, said the"intriguing and meaningful [findings] highlight the fact that not everyone may need chemotherapy.” In the big picture, the results reflect a movement toward"individualized, personalized medicine, and moving away from one size fits all.”"There may be a need for additional evaluation in a large phase 3 trial,” Dr.