Dr. Ueno on Patient-Reported Outcomes With Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HR+/HER2-Low Breast Cancer

Naoto T. Ueno, MD, PhD, FACP, faculty member, the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) in hormone receptor (HR)–positive/HER2-low metastatic breast cancer.

At the 2022 ESMO Congress, investigators presented PROs from the phase 3 DESTINY-Breast04 trial (NCT03734029), which evaluated trastuzumab deruxtecan vs physician’s choice of chemotherapy in patients with HR-positive/HER2-low breast cancer. 

Data showed that the global health status was well maintained throughout the course of treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan, and treatments lasted up to 27 cycles with no deterioration, Ueno explains. Similar results were seen with PROs from the chemotherapy arm, emphasizing that trastuzumab deruxtecan did not have a negative effect on quality of life, Ueno adds. 

Moreover, investigators examined symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and pain. Fatigue was controlled, and pain improved for patients treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan compared with chemotherapy, Ueno adds. However, nausea was a more prominent concern with trastuzumab deruxtecan compared with chemotherapy, Ueno says. PROs showed that in cycles 3 and 5, instances of nausea increased in the trastuzumab deruxtecan arm, though this deterioration was quickly corrected, Ueno concluded.