Table 1.
Patient characteristics (n 70)1
| Variable | Values (%)2 |
| Median Age in years (range) | 55 (32–77) |
| Stage at Initial Diagnosis of Breast Cancer | |
| I/II | 41 (59) |
| III | 17 (24) |
| IV | 12 (17) |
| Hormone Receptor Status | |
| ER and or PgR positive | 33 (47) |
| ER and PgR Negative | 35 (50) |
| ER and PgR Unknown | 2 (3) |
| Exposure to anthracycline before the initial T-based regimen3 | 46 (66) |
| Exposure to taxane before the initial T-based regimen3 | 18 (26) |
| Prior Lines of Chemotherapy for Metastatic Disease4 | |
| 1 | 48 (68) |
| 2 | 10 (14) |
| ≥ 3 | 12 (17) |
| Initial Trastuzumab-based regimen | |
| Docetaxel 75–100 mg/m2 q3wks + T | 31 (44) |
| Paclitaxel 80–90 mg/m2 weekly +T | 12 (17) |
| Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 q3wks + T | 5 (7) |
| Vinorelbine 25–30 mg/m2 weekly + T | 4 (6) |
| Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 + Epi-doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 q3wks + T | 4 (6) |
| T alone | 4 (6) |
| Other regimens | 7 (10) |
| Unknown | 3 (4) |
| Median Number of Metastatic Sites | 2 (1–6) |
| Pattern of Metastatic Disease | |
| Visceral (Liver + Lung) | 57 (81) |
| Non Visceral/Non CNS (Bone, Soft Tissue, Effusions) | 11 (16) |
| Central Nervous System (plus other sites) | 17 (24) |
T, Trastuzumab; CNS, central nervous system.
1All patients had HER2 amplification confirmed by central reassessment of tumor material by fluorescence in situ hybridization
2Because of rounding, the sum of percentages does not always equal 100.
3Exposure to these drugs in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant or metastatic setting before the initial trastuzumab-based regimen.
4Including the initial trastuzumab-based regimen