Dr. Tanioka on the Results of CALGB 40601 in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Maki Tanioka, MD, PhD, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the results of the phase III CALGB 40601 (Alliance) study in HER2-positive breast cancer.

This study was an integrated analysis of multidimensional genomic data that explored neoadjuvant weekly paclitaxel and trastuzumab (Herceptin) with or without lapatinib (Tykerb).

Results showed that tumor genetics, RNA subtype, and the microenvironment were independently predictive of response to trastuzumab-containing therapies. According to Tanioka, these results support integrating RNA- and DNA-based tumor assessments to determine response to HER2-targeting.