New treatment options for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer with leptomeningeal metastases

Abstract

The molecular subtype of breast cancer associated with overexpression of HER2/neu is characterized by more frequent and earlier metastasis to the central nervous system, predetermining an unfavorable prognosis for patients in this category. Patients with secondary brain damage by tumors of any location and histological structure are the most complex group of patients, demonstrating an extremely low level of quality of life, requiring special close monitoring and the development of a personal management algorithm. The development of leptomeningeal lesions doubly complicates the specialist’s task due to the severity of the clinical course and resistance to any therapeutic interventions. The emergence in practice of a new drug a conjugate of the humanized antibody immunoglobulin G1 and the topoisomerase I inhibitor, the exatecan derivative trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) as an additional therapeutic option is new hope for patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), including those with damage to the central nervous system. This article provides an overview of the effectiveness and safety of T-DXd in registration studies, demonstrating the clinical benefit of therapy in a patient with HER2-positive (HER2+) mBC with meningeal involvement in real-world clinical practice.