Dr. Dang on Neratinib in Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Chau Dang, MD, medical oncologist, chief, West Harrison Medical Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the potential of neratinib as part of a combination treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Currently, neratinib is being explored in combination with capecitabine versus lapatinib plus capecitabine in the phase III NALA study for HER2-positive patients who have received more than 2 treatments. This trial will allow researchers to determine whether this combination can be another treatment option for patients.

Dang explains that the incidence of grade 3 diarrhea associated with neratinib is an ongoing and significant issue; however, this toxicity can be managed through anti-diarrheal agents. Other small molecules are being developed in order to target these patients who also have brain metastases.