Cardiac toxicity of patients on short course trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy (FinHer Protocol) in breast cancer

Abstract

Approximately 25%-30% of breast cancers overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and are associated with a more aggressive form of the disease. 1 Trastuzumab has greatly improved the outcome of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer in both the primary and metastatic setting. 2 The use of trastuzumab was associated with a 50% reduction in the risk of recurrence and a 33% reduction in the risk of death. 3 The major concern with the use of trastuzumab is cardiac toxicity.Trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity is manifested as asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction, congestive heart failure (CHF), and rarely