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Weekly trastuzumab and paclitaxel therapy is active in women with metastatic breast cancer. Therapy was relatively well tolerated; however, attention to cardiac function is necessary.

Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this course, the reader will be able to:1. Explain how statins, used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, may be applicable to cancer prevention.2. Discuss how statins potentially interfere with biologic processes relevant to cancer etiology. AbstractAdministration of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, or statins, to ambulatory patients is associated with a lower incidence of long-term adverse cardiovascular events, including death, myocardial infarction, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and renal dysfunction. However, increasing clinical evidence suggests that statins, independent of their effects on serum cholesterol levels, may also play a potential role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Specifically, statins have been shown to exert several beneficial antineoplastic properties, including decreased tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The feasibility and efficacy of statins for the prevention and treatment of cancer is reviewed. The Oncologist 2006;11:306-315

The change in schedule of paclitaxel from once every 3 weeks to a more frequent administration significantly improved the ability to eradicate invasive cancer in the breast and lymph nodes.