Title

Herceptin Followed by Chemotherapy in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer That Overexpresses HER2
Randomized Phase III Trial of Herceptin® Followed by Chemotherapy Plus Herceptin® Versus the Combination of Herceptin® and Chemotherapy as Palliative Treatment in Patients With HER2- Overexpressing Advanced/Metastatic Breast Cancer.
  • Phase

    Phase 3
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Status

    Terminated
  • Intervention/Treatment

    trastuzumab ...
  • Study Participants

    175
RATIONALE: To compare efficacy, toxicity and quality of life of the sequential administration of Her alone followed, at PD, by the combination with Chemotherapy (Arm A) vs. the upfront combination of Her and Chemotherapy (Arm B) in patients with advanced/metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Trial SAKK 22/99 addresses clinically relevant and currently unresolved questions regarding the optimal use of Herceptin in the treatment of patients with advanced/metastatic breast cancer.
In advanced HER2+ breast cancer the impact of combining Trastuzumab (T) and chemotherapy (chemo) versus T alone followed by the addition of chemo at disease progression has not been properly studied.

The trial compared efficacy, toxicity and quality of life of sequential administration of T followed, at progression, by combination with chemo (T>TChemo) versus the upfront combination of T and chemo (TChemo) in patients with HER2+ advanced breast cancer.
Study Started
Aug 30
1999
Primary Completion
Nov 06
2014
Study Completion
Mar 31
2022
Last Update
Apr 18
2023

Drug Herceptin™ (Her)

Herceptin™ (Her) loading dose 4 mg/kg iv, followed by 2 mg/kg iv weekly or loading dose 8 mg/kg iv, followed by 6 mg/kg iv every 3 weeks; at time of progression add chemotherapy

Drug Herceptin™ (Her) + chemo

Herceptin™ (Her) loading dose 4 mg/kg iv, followed by 2 mg/kg iv weekly or loading dose 8 mg/kg iv, followed by 6 mg/kg iv every 3 weeks, and chemotherapy

Herceptin™ (Her) Active Comparator

Herceptin™ (Her) loading dose 4 mg/kg iv, followed by 2 mg/kg iv weekly or loading dose 8 mg/kg iv, followed by 6 mg/kg iv every 3 weeks; at time of progression add chemotherapy

Herceptin™+Chemo Active Comparator

Herceptin™ (Her) loading dose 4 mg/kg iv, followed by 2 mg/kg iv weekly or loading dose 8 mg/kg iv, followed by 6 mg/kg iv every 3 weeks, and chemotherapy

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast carcinoma

Clinically or radiologically measurable or evaluable disease

Bidimensionally or unidimensionally measurable lesions
No ascitic, pleural, or pericardial effusions, osteoblastic bone metastases, or carcinomatous lymphangitis of the lung as only indicator lesion
No known clinical brain or meningeal involvement

Hormone receptor status:

Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

18 to 70

Sex:

Female

Menopausal status:

Not specified

Performance status:

ECOG 0-1 OR
SAKK 0-1

Life expectancy:

At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

Bilirubin normal
SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (3 times ULN if proven liver metastases) OR
No SGOT and/or SGPT greater than 1.5 times ULN if alkaline phosphatase greater than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

LVEF normal
No history of atrial ventricular arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, or angina pectoris, even if medically controlled
No history of second or third-degree heart blocks
No uncontrolled hypertension

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No pre-existing motor or sensory neuropathy grade 2 or greater
No psychiatric disorder that would preclude informed consent
No other prior malignancy except curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
No definite contraindications for use of corticosteroids
No other concurrent serious illness or medical condition

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

Not specified

Chemotherapy:

Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowed
No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
No prior cumulative dose of doxorubicin greater than 240 mg/m^2
No prior cumulative dose of epirubicin greater than 360 mg/m^2
No prior taxanes

Endocrine therapy:

Prior hormonal therapy as adjuvant treatment or for metastatic disease allowed
No concurrent corticosteroids unless started more than 6 months prior to study and at low doses (i.e., no greater than 20 mg methylprednisolone or equivalent)

Radiotherapy:

Not specified

Surgery:

Not specified

Other:

No other concurrent anticancer drugs
No other concurrent experimental drugs

No concurrent bisphosphonates unless initiated more than 3 months prior to study

Chronic use allowed provided bone metastases are not sole indicator lesions
No Results Posted