Trastuzumab treatment in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma overexpressing HER2/neu

Santin, Alessandro D.; Bellone, Stefania; Roman, Juan J.; McKenney, Jesse K.; Pecorelli, Sergio

doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2008.04.008

« Previous Next »International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics
Volume 102, Issue 2 , Pages 128-131, August 2008

Trastuzumab treatment in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma overexpressing HER2/neu

Alessandro D. Santin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, 333 Cedar Street, Rm. 305 LSOG, PO Box 208063, New Haven, CT 06520-8063, USA. Tel.: +1 203 785 3749; fax: +1 203 785 6782.
Stefania Bellone
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Juan J. Roman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Jesse K. McKenney
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Sergio Pecorelli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Received 8 March 2008; received in revised form 1 April 2008; accepted 3 April 2008. published online 16 May 2008.

Abstract

Objective

To study the effect of trastuzumab in patients with progressive or recurrent metastatic endometrial carcinoma shown by immunohistochemistry to overexpress the HER2/neu receptor.

Methods

Disease progression was examined in 2 patients who met the study criteria, had c-erbB2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and were treated with trastuzumab following radiation treatment and/or salvage chemotherapy.

Results

The clinical responses to trastuzumab as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy were confirmed in both patients by serial CT scans and serum CA-125 evaluations. These patients with progressive or recurrent metastatic disease experienced relief from their symptoms and prolonged survival with no significant toxicity observed.

Conclusion

Trastuzumab may be a viable therapeutic option as single agent or in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced, recurrent, and/or metastatic endometrial carcinomas overexpressing HER2/neu.

Keywords: Fluorescence in situ hybridization, HER2/neu, Immunohistochemistry, Serous papillary uterine cancer, Trastuzumab, Type 2 endometrial cancer