Adjuvant Short-Course Trastuzumab in Breast Cancer

Introduction The standard duration of adjuvant trastuzumab is 1 year. But the decision to use for 1 year was chosen arbitrarily in clinical trials. Many patients from developing countries like India cannot afford 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab. Methods We retrospectively analysed 70 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, who received short-course trastuzumab, and compared them with a matched historical cohort ( n = 65) of HER2-positive breast cancer patients who did not receive trastuzumab. Results The 1-year DFS and OS of patients who received short-course trastuzumab were 91% and 96%, respectively. This cohort was matched for age, stage and menopausal status with a historical cohort ( N = 65) of HER2-positive breast cancer who did not receive trastuzumab. The 1-year DFS (94 vs 71%, p = 0.045) and 1-year OS (94 vs 80%, p = 0.006) were superior for those who received short-course trastuzumab. Conclusion Adjuvant short-course trastuzumab (weekly for 9 weeks) improved survival in HER2-positive breast cancer as compared to the historical cohort without trastuzumab.