Dr. Tolaney on the ATEMPT Trial for HER2+ Breast Cancer

Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH, instructor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, attending physician of medical oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the ATEMPT trial for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

This trial investigated patients with stage I HER2-positive disease following the APT trial, states Tolaney. The aim of the study was to determine if using T-DM1 (ado-trastuzumab emtansine; Kadcyla) is a beneficial approach.

The trial randomized patients to a year of T-DM1 or paclitaxel and trastuzumab (Herceptin). It was designed to compare the clinically relevant toxicities seen between the 2 arms and establish a 3-year disease-free survival in the T-DM1 arm. The trial has completed accrual and results are expected 2019, explains Tolaney.