Pyrotinib Tops Lapatinib in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Abstract A Chinese study of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer shows that the HER2 inhibitor pyrotinib increases progression-free survival and objective response rates over lapatinib. Pyrotinib did increase the incidence of side effects such as diarrhea and hand–foot syndrome. However, about 54% of trial participants had previously taken trastuzumab, so the study's results may not hold true in the United States, where most patients receive it.