Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy / 20.12.2013
Breast Cancer: PIK3CA Mutation to Predict Chemotherapy Resistance
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Dr. med. Sibylle Loibl MD
Unit Head of Medicine & Research
Member of Management Board
Associate Professor University Frankfurt
GBG Forschungs GmbH
Neu-Isenburg
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Loibl: We could demonstrate that patients with a HER2+ primary breast cancer harbouring a PIK3CA mutation are less likely to achieve a pathological complete response after treatment with an anthracycline/taxane containing therapy in combination with trastuzumab and lapatinib, than patients whose tumours does not harbour the mutation (so called wild type). This difference was largest in the group with HER2+, HR + tumours. The pCR rate in this cohort was as low as 6.3%.
Looking at the differences in another study with either trastuzumab or lapatinib anti-HER2 treatment is seems as patients with a PIK3CA mutated tumour have a low pCR rate irrespective of the antiHER2 treatment, whereas the patients with a wild type tumour benefit from trastuzumab and the double blockade.
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