Dr. Hamilton Discusses Challenges With Approved Treatments for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Many novel agents were recently approved, including T-DM1 (Kadcyla) and pertuzumab (Perjeta). This has made it difficult to determine how to best sequence and use these types of treatments, says Hamilton. There have been approvals for metastatic, neoadjuvant, and adjuvant disease, as well as improvements to the standard treatment trastuzumab (Herceptin).

Hamilton believes the challenges for the next couple of years include figuring out where to sequence the drugs, where to place them, and how best to use them in combination.

Erika P. Hamilton, MD, associate director, Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancer Research Program, principal investigator, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the challenges associated with utilizing new agents in HER2-positive breast cancer.