Patient or KNOW Patient^™
Personalized Care in Treating HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Beyond Chemotherapy

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that has proven particularly resistant to standard treatments. HER2-positive breast cancers multiply rapidly and spread more quickly than breast cancers that do not overexpress HER2, and are associated with a poorer prognosis. Studies show that 25% of patients with breast cancer have tumors that are HER2-positive.

Treatments are available and emerging to combat this aggressive malignancy. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody, and lapatinib, a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, are both approved for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. There are a number of ongoing trials to further assess the utility of different strategies to use in combination with lapatinib or trastuzumab. In addition, several new agents, including trastuzumab-DM1, an antibody-antimicrotubule agent conjugate; pertuzumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody; and everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, are being evaluated in this treatment setting.

This case-based interactive program will summarize the current evidence in support of HER2 testing and the interpretation of currently used testing methods, review clinical trials that have assessed HER2-targeted strategies in adjuvant and metastatic treatment settings in patients with breast cancer, apply pivotal clinical trial results to the management of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, and describe how health care provider/patient communication techniques can be integrated into the routine care of patients with breast cancer.

Available until September 15, 2012.
Physicians: 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^™
Nurses: 1.0 contact hour

This activity is sponsored by Global Education Group.

Logistical support provided by Quintiles Medical Education, Inc.