Future Roles of Lapatinib in ErbB2-Positive Breast Cancer: Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Trials

SUMMARY: Lapatinib is potentially an ideal therapy for the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of women with breast cancer due to its convenience of use (oral, once-daily administration) and because it has shown activity in the first-line and refractory metastatic settings. Furthermore, the dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor appears to have a low incidence of cardiotoxicity, and may decrease the rate of later brain metastases. Therefore, several cooperative groups and academic centers have initiated trials investigating lapatinib in the treatment of early-stage ErbB2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer.