Dr. Anne on the Practice-Changing Data of DESTINY-Breast04 in HER2-Low Breast Cancer

Madhurima Anne, MD, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, discusses the practice-changing data of the phase 3 DESTINY-Breast04 trial (NCT03734029) in patients with HER2-low breast cancer.

DESTINY-Breast04 compared the safety and efficacy of fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) with physician's choice treatment in patients with HER2-low, unresectable or metastatic breast cancer who received 1 to 2 lines of prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting.

Data from the trial showed that trastuzumab deruxtecan demonstrated efficacy in patients with hormone receptor (HR)–positive disease and those with HR-negative disease, Anne says. Patients with HR-positive breast cancer typically do not respond well to chemotherapy, underscoring the importance of the progression-free survival and overall survival benefits displayed by the antibody-drug conjugate in this patient population, Anne explains.

Targeted therapies such as trastuzumab deruxtecan are changing the landscape of oncology, Anne says. Along with increased efficacy, more tolerable agents allow patients to maintain a better quality of life, Anne concludes.