A combination of lapatinib - a targeted therapy - and capecitabine - a chemotherapy agent - has been found to shrink metastatic brain tumors by at least 50 percent in one-fifth of patients with aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer.

Such were the findings presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

As reported Nancy Lin, MD, of Dana-Farber's Breast Oncology Center:

"In the extension trial, capecitabine was added to lapatinib in 49 patients whose metastases - cancerous colonies in the brain spread from their primary cancer - had progressed while on treatment.
With the combination therapy, brain metastases shrank by 20 percent or more in 18 patients (37 percent) and shrank by at least 50 percent in 10 patients (20 percent).

Very few medications have shown activity in the treatment of brain metastases, particularly in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. Therefore, these data are quite encouraging, and further studies are warranted.

Although radiation treatment is often effective, as women live longer with metastatic cancer, some develop worsening of brain metastases despite radiation. Because cancer in the brain can have a major impact on quality of life, it is important to have treatment options to address this problem."

Be aware though that the above study was partly sponsored by the drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of Lapatinib (Tykerb).

Tykerb® is an oral small-molecule drug from GlaxoSmithKline that is approved along with capecitabine for treating patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors are driven by the abnormal growth signal, HER-2, and who have already undergone therapy including trastuzumab (Herceptin), a taxane drug, and an anthracycline compound.

Lapatinib, like trastuzumab, blocks the HER-2 signal.

Xeloda®, on the other hand, the first FDA-approved oral chemotherapy for advanced bowel cancer and metastatic breast cancer and a product of Roche.

Find more details from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

[In Photo: Tykerb orange tablets; credit]