Dr. Han on the APHINITY Trial in HER2+ Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Heather ​S. Han, MD, a research director and medical oncologist of Breast Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the benefit of adding pertuzumab (Perjeta) to trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy in the phase 3 APHINITY trial in patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer.

The APHINITY trial enrolled patients with node-positive or high-risk node-negative operative breast cancer who received either pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy or placebo and standard adjuvant chemotherapy plus 1 year of trastuzumab.

Updated data from the interim second analysis of the trial continued to show the benefit of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab and chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting, which is promising, says Han. Results showed a continued benefit with regard to invasive disease-free survival. Additionally, the degree of benefit was even higher than what had been presented a few years ago, which Han says is very encouraging.

It is too early to see an overall survival (OS) benefit with the approach. Longer-term follow-up is needed, but these data are highly anticipated, according to Han.

Additionally, benefit was observed in patients with high-risk disease, concludes Han.