Dr. Chan on ExteNET Trial for HER2+ Breast Cancer

Arlene Chan, MD, director, Mount Hospital at Perth, discusses the ExteNET trial, which looked at neratinib as extended adjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

The phase III ExteNET trial randomized patients to 1 year of extended adjuvant treatment with oral agent neratinib at 240 mg daily versus placebo. Patients enrolled in the study had previously received trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy. Disease-free survival was the primary endpoint.

Despite significant survival gains with trastuzumab, Chan says, up to 25% of patients will experience disease recurrence, suggesting the HER2-positive setting requires further interventions, such as neratinib.