Research table: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) and treatment for metastatic breast cancer

This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables are a useful way to look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, to get the most out of the tables, it’s important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.

Introduction: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan) is a HER2 antibody-drug conjugate. It consists of trastuzumab and the chemotherapy drug deruxtecan. Combining these drugs allows the targeted delivery of the chemotherapy to HER2-positive cancer cells.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is used to treat HER2-positive metastatic breast cancers that have progressed on past HER2-targeted therapies for metastatic breast cancer. It can help shrink these tumors.

The HER2-targeted therapy trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan) is under study for use in the treatment of metastatic breast cancers that have low, but detectable, levels of HER2 expression. These are called HER2-low breast cancers.

Learn more about trastuzumab deruxtecan, including its side effects.

Study selection criteria: Clinical trials with 100 or more participants with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and randomized clinical trials with 100 or more participants with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer.

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan and HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Study	Study Population (number of participants)	Drug(s) Used	Objective Response Rate—Percent who Responded to Treatment (95% CI)	Overall Survival at One Year (95% CI)
Clinical trials
DESTINY-Breast01 [1]	184	Trastuzumab deruxtecan	61% (53-68%)	NA

NA = Not available

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan and HER2-Low Metastatic Breast Cancer
Study	Study Population (number of participants)	Drug(s) Used	Objective Response Rate—Percent who Responded to Treatment (95% CI)	Overall Survival at One Year (95% CI)
Randomized clinical trials
DESTINY-Breast04 [2]	557	Trastuzumab deruxtecan	52% (47-57%)	74%
		Chemotherapy	16% (11-23%)	57%

References

1. Modi S, Saura C, Yamashita T, et al. for the DESTINY-Breast01 Investigators. Trastuzumab deruxtecan in previously treated HER2-positive breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 382(7):610-621, 2020.
2. Modi S, Jacot W, Yamashita T, et al. for the DESTINY-Breast04 Investigators. Trastuzumab deruxtecan in previously treated HER2-low advanced breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 387(1):9-20, 2022.
   

Updated 07/08/22