Lapatinib-associated toxicity and practical management recommendations

Beverly Moy1, Paul E Goss

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Gillette Center for Women's Cancers, Lawrence House, LRH 304, Boston, MA 02114, USA. bmoy@partners.org

The Oncologist
|August 4, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Lapatinib effectively treats ErbB-2-overexpressing breast cancer, including metastatic and inflammatory types. This review details lapatinib

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Lapatinib is an oral receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting ErbB-1 and ErbB-2.
  • Clinical trials demonstrate lapatinib's efficacy in ErbB-2-overexpressing breast cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review lapatinib-associated toxicities.
  • To provide practical management recommendations for lapatinib toxicity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of phase II and III clinical trial data.
  • Analysis of reported adverse events and toxicity profiles.

Main Results:

  • Lapatinib shows activity in metastatic, inflammatory, and potentially brain metastatic breast cancer.
  • Common toxicities include diarrhea and rash; cardiac toxicity is rare.

Conclusions:

  • Lapatinib is a valuable treatment option for specific breast cancer subtypes.
  • Understanding and managing lapatinib's toxicity profile is crucial for patient care.

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