Michael Untch, MD, PhD

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Articles

What Is the Current Standard of Care for Anti-HER2 Neoadjuvant Therapy in Breast Cancer?

Gunter von Minckwitz, MD, PhD;Sibylle Loib, MD;Michael Untch, MD, PhD

January 16th 2012

This article provides a comprehensive summary of the knowledge gained from recent neoadjuvant trials conducted with agents targeting HER2, and will put them into perspective with current treatment recommendations from American and European guidelines.

Anthracycline and Trastuzumab in Breast Cancer Treatment

Michael Untch, MD, PhD;I. Himsl, MD;Steffen Kahlert, MD;H. J. Lueck, MD;H. Eidtmann, MD;Andreas Du Bois, MD, PhD;H. G. Meerpohl, MD;Christoph Thomssen, MD, PhD;Nadia Harbeck, MD, PhD;C. Jackisch, MD;R. Kreienberg, MD;G. Emons, MD;Diethelm Wallwiener, MD;W. Wiese, MD;G. Schaller, MD;W. Kuhn, MD;M. Muscholl, MD;M. Pauschinger, MD;B. Langer, MD

December 4th 2004

This study was designed to evaluate the cardiac safety of the combined treatment of HER2-positive metastaticbreast cancer patients with trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) incomparison with EC alone in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients. Patients included those withmetastatic breast cancer without any prior anti-HER2 treatment, anthracycline therapy, or any other chemotherapyfor metastatic disease. This was a nonrandomized, prospective, dose-escalating, multicenter, openlabel,phase II study in Germany. A control group of 23 patients received EC 90/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for sixcycles (EC90 alone). A total of 26 HER2-positive patients were treated with trastuzumab, or H (2 mg/kg weeklyafter an initial loading dose of 4 mg/kg), and EC 60/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for six cycles (EC60+H); another 25HER2-positive patients received H and EC 90/600 mg/m2 3-weekly for six cycles. Asymptomatic reductions inleft ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of more than 10% points were detected in 12 patients (48%) treatedwith EC60 + H and in 14 patients (56%) treated with EC90 + H vs 6 patients (26%) in the EC90 alone cohort.LVEF decreases to < 50% occurred in one patient in the EC60+H cohort and in two patients in the EC90+Hcohort during the H monotherapy. No cardiac event occurred in the cohort with EC90 alone. The overallresponse rates for EC60+H and EC90+H were >60%, vs 26% for EC90 alone. The interim results of this studysuggest the cardiac safety of the combination of H with EC may be greater than that of H with AC (doxorubicin[Adriamycin]/cyclophosphamide); however, studies in larger numbers of patients are warranted. The combinationregimen revealed promising efficacy.

Dose-Dense and Sequential Strategies in Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy

Michael Untch, MD, PhD;Franz Von Koch, MD;C. Crohns, MD;K. Sobotta, MD;Steffen Kahlert, MD;Gottfried E. Konecny, MD;H. Hepp, MD

May 1st 2001

Several attempts have been made to improve the survival rates of breast cancer patients. The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy was clearly shown, but the absolute difference of 2% to 11% in overall survival, depending on the

Paclitaxel and Epirubicin as First-Line Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer

Hans-Joachim Lück, MD;Andreas Du Bois, MD, PhD;Christoph Thomssen, MD, PhD;Björn Lisboa, MD, PhD;Michael Untch, MD, PhD;Günther Köhler, MD, PhD;Detlev Hecker, PhD;Klaus Diergarten, MD

April 1st 1997

Paclitaxel (Taxol) has aroused considerable interest for its high single-agent activity in breast cancer and novel mechanism of action. Epirubicin (Farmorubicin), the 4'epimer of doxorubicin (Adriamycin), also has high activity in