Pregnancies during and after trastuzumab and/or lapatinib in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive early breast cancer: Analysis from the NeoALTTO (BIG 1-06) and ALTTO (BIG 2-06) trials

Matteo Lambertini, Samuel Martel, Christine Campbell, Sébastien Guillaume, Florentine S. Hilbers, Uwe Schuehly, Larissa Korde, Hatem A. Azim, Serena Di Cosimo, Richard C. Tenglin, Jens Huober, José Baselga, Alvaro Moreno-Aspitia, Martine Piccart-Gebhart, Richard D. Gelber, Evandro de Azambuja, Michail Ignatiadis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Limited data exist on the safety of using anti–human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted agents during pregnancy. To date, only retrospective studies have assessed the prognosis of patients with a pregnancy after prior early breast cancer, with no data in HER2-positive patients. Methods: The Neoadjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimization (NeoALTTO) trial and the Adjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimization (ALTTO) trial were randomized phase 3 trials for patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer. In both trials, pregnancy information was prospectively collected. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between patients unintentionally exposed to trastuzumab and/or lapatinib during gestation (the exposed group) and those who became pregnant after trastuzumab and/or lapatinib completion (the unexposed group). In the ALTTO trial, disease-free survival (DFS) was compared between pregnant patients and those aged 40 years or younger without a subsequent pregnancy via an extended Cox model with time-varying covariates to account for a guarantee-time bias. Results: Ninety-two patients (12 in the exposed group and 80 in the unexposed group) had a pregnancy: 7 in the NeoALTTO trial and 85 in the ALTTO trial. Seven patients (58.3%) in the exposed group and 10 patients (12.5%) in the unexposed group opted for an induced abortion; in the unexposed group, 10 patients (12.5%) had a spontaneous abortion. No pregnancy/delivery complications were reported for the remaining cases, who successfully completed their pregnancy, with the exception of 1 fetus with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). No significant difference in DFS (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-2.42) was observed between young patients with a pregnancy (n = 85) and young patients without a pregnancy (n = 1307). Conclusions: For patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, having a pregnancy after treatment completion appears to be safe without compromising fetal outcome or maternal prognosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)307-316
Number of pages10
JournalCancer
Volume125
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 15 2019

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive
  • lapatinib
  • pregnancy
  • survivorship
  • trastuzumab
  • young patients

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Pregnancies during and after trastuzumab and/or lapatinib in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive early breast cancer: Analysis from the NeoALTTO (BIG 1-06) and ALTTO (BIG 2-06) trials'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this