TITLE:
Impressive Objective Response to Nab-Paclitaxel plus Trastuzumab as Fifth Line Therapy in an Elderly HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer Patient
AUTHORS:
Maria Rosaria Valerio, Chiara Ancona, Antonella Marchese, Vittorio Gebbia
KEYWORDS:
Nab-Paclitaxel, Trastuzumab, HER-2, Metastasis, Breast Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.8 No.11,
November
16,
2017
ABSTRACT: Background: Agent targeting HER-2 pathway
plus chemotherapy has represented a major
progress in the management of patients with breast cancer. However, the role of late-line treatment in heavily
pretreated patients is still largely unclear. In the last decade, nab-paclitaxel has shown significant activity
and good toxicity profile in metastatic breast cancer. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 76-year-old Caucasian woman
with metastatic HER-2 positive ductal infiltrating breast carcinoma treated
with a combination of weekly nab-paclitaxel and trastuzumab as fifth-line
therapy. She had previously received first-line paclitaxel and trastuzumab,
second-line vinorelbine and trastuzumab, third-line TDM1 and fourth-line oral
capecitabine and lapatinib. Clinical and radiological staging showed
progression at bone, skin and soft-tissue. The patient received weekly
nab-paclitaxel plus trastuzumab. Massive objective response was clinically and
PET documented which lasted 8 months. Tolerance to treatment was fairly good as
well as cardiac safety. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this
is the first reported case of efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in combination with
trastuzumab as fifth-line of treatment in a patient with metastatic HER-2
positive breast cancer.