Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limited data are available describing the natural history of patients with HER2-positive and hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We examined first-line treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with HER2-positive, HR-positive MBC in a real-world setting. METHODS: registHER is a prospective, observational cohort of 1,023 patients with HER2-positive MBC diagnosed within 6 months of enrollment and followed until death, disenrollment, or June 2009 (median follow-up time: 27 months). Demographics, first-line treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes were examined for 530 HER2-positive, HR-positive patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times were examined. Multivariate analyses adjusted for baseline demographic and prognostic factors. RESULTS: HER2-positive, HR-positive patients receiving first-line trastuzumab plus hormonal therapy had significantly longer PFS times than patients who received hormonal therapy only (13.8 vs. 4.8 months; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22-0.60); a nonsignificant reduction in OS time was observed (adjusted HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.27-1.14). Compared with patients who received first-line trastuzumab plus chemotherapy, patients who received first-line trastuzumab plus chemotherapy and hormonal therapy had longer median PFS times (20.4 months vs. 9.5 months; adjusted HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.42-0.68); a statistically significant reduction in risk of death was observed (adjusted HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36-0.70). Sequential use of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy was associated with improved OS times when compared with concurrent use (adjusted PFS HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.54-1.21; adjusted OS HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: These real-world data in patients with HER2-positive/HR-positive MBC provide evidence that, with or without chemotherapy, dual targeting of HRs and HER2 receptors is associated with significantly prolonged PFS and OS times.