Nancy U. Lin, MD
Medical Oncologist in the Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Drs. Nancy Lin and Eric Winer have completed data analysis of a multinational trial which evaluated the safety and effectiveness of lapatinib in over 240 patients with brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer. Results of the study are promising and have led to the development of additional trials both at Dana-Farber and at other centers.

Two clinical trials have been successfully launched at Dana-Farber; one evaluating the combination of lapatinib with radiation treatment, and the other evaluating a novel chemotherapy drug, sagopilone. Data analysis is underway evaluating possible new ways to predict if and how long patients might benefit from systemic treatment for brain metastases. Finally, Drs. Lin and Winer have identified the triple-negative subtype of breast cancer as a risk factor for the development of brain metastases. Now, Drs. Lin and Winer will continue to broaden their efforts to study brain metastases in patients with breast cancer. It is anticipated that the two ongoing trials will be completed over the next 12-18 months.

A new study will be launched evaluating the combination of chemotherapy with bevacizumab, a targeted drug that blocks blood vessel growth, and will include both patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. A new study evaluating systemic therapy in patients with HER2-positive brain metastases will also be developed. As part of each of these trials, innovative methods of assessing treatment effectiveness in the brain will be evaluated. Finally, Drs. Lin and Winer will further investigate the clinical course of patients with triple-negative breast cancer within a national database.