International Journal of Hematology and Oncology 2023, Vol 33, Num 4 Page(s): 184-188
THE EFFECT OF TRASTUZUMAB TREATMENT ON TIME TO DEVELOPMENT OF BRAIN METASTASIS AND OVERALL SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

Canfeza SEZGİN1, Erhan GÖKMEN1

Ege Ünivesitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıbbi Onkoloji Bilim Dalı, İZMİR

Keywords: Brain metastasis, Breast cancer, Trastuzumab
In this study, we aimed to compare the time to development of brain metastasis, survival times after brain metastasis and overall survival (OS) times in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with and without trastuzumab.


We evaluated 16 patients diagnosed as MBC with c-erbB-2 positive and developed brain metastasis during follow-up. Seven patients were treated with trastuzumab containing regimen before development of brain metastasis while 9 patients were treated with regimen containing no trastuzumab. Median time to development of brain metastasis after detection of first metastasis and median OS time after having MBC was found to be longer in patients treated with trastuzumab (p=0.03 and p=0.0003, respectively). Although patients treated with trastuzumab had longer survival after development of brain metastasis, it did not have statistical significance (p=0.19). By using trastuzumab in the treatment, control of systemic disease in patients with MBC is more feasible and survival rates are remarkably longer.