Eradication of EGFR-positive circulating tumor cells and objective tumor response with lapatinib and capecitabine.

Abstract

For breast cancer patients, treatment decisions based on the molecular profile of the primary tumor have been used for many years. In Her2-overexpressing tumors, trastuzumab is a key component of therapy. However, despite persistent expression of Her2, most tumors eventually become resistant to trastuzumab. When this happens, the patients benefit from a regime containing lapatinib, a dual EGFR and Her2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We report on a patient affected by chemo-refractory metastatic Her2-positive breast cancer enrolled in a translational research program for the detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Depletion of the EGFR-positive CTC pool in the blood was associated with tumor response, whereas disease progression was related to a recurrence in CTCs, which were both EGFR and Her2 negative. Although a proof for the clinical significance of EGFR-positive circulating tumor cells is currently lacking, expression of EGFR may predict response to lapatinib-based treatments as in the case presented.

• Authors: Zhian Liu, Alberto Fusi, Alexander Schmittel, Ingeborg Tinhofer, Achim Schneider, Ulrich Keilholz
• Journal: Cancer biology & therapy (Cancer Biol Ther) Vol. 10 Issue 9 Pg. 860-4 (Nov 01 2010) ISSN: 1555-8576 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20855957 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Genetic Markers
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors
• Quinazolines
• Lapatinib
• Deoxycytidine
• Capecitabine
• ErbB Receptors
• Receptor, ErbB-2
• Trastuzumab
• Fluorouracil

Topics

• Antibodies, Monoclonal (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Capecitabine
• Deoxycytidine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Disease Progression
• Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
• ErbB Receptors (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Female
• Flow Cytometry
• Fluorouracil (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Genetic Markers
• Humans
• Lapatinib
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplastic Cells, Circulating (metabolism, pathology)
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Quinazolines (therapeutic use)
• Receptor, ErbB-2 (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics, metabolism)
• Trastuzumab