Dr. Falkson on the Potential to De-Escalate Chemotherapy in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Carla Falkson, MBChB, MMed, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses the potential to de-escalate chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer.

The focus of ongoing trials in breast cancer is to identify subgroups of patients that are best suited for de-escalated therapeutic strategies, Falkson says. Moreover, it is important to learn how to identify which patients can benefit from less chemotherapy, Falkson adds. Specifically, this is the focus of the ongoing phase 2 CompassHER2-pCR trial (NCT04266249), in which patients with HER2-positive breast cancer will receive decreased chemotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and targeted therapy, Falkson explains. 

Moreover, the phase 2/3 ADAPT trial (NCT01779206) proved to be a proof of principle, as it suggested that a subgroup of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who could bypass chemotherapy altogether, Falkson continues. The ultimate goal in the field is to de-escalate chemotherapy for eligible patients and avoid carboplatin in specific subtypes, Falkson concludes.