Andreas Charalambous, Chair Department of Nursing at Cyprus University of Technology, shared on LinkedIn:
“It’s out !
Title: Managing trastuzumab deruxtecan-related adverse events in patients with metastatic breast cancer: insights from a worldwide survey of the Hermione EDUcational project
Authors: Marina Elena Cazzaniga, Matti Aapro, Manuel Alva Bianchi, Andreas Charalambous, Laura Cortesi, Luis Costa, Peter Fashing, Ana Belen Rodriguez Garcia, Freyer Gilles, Bryan Hennessy, Hirotoshi Iihara, Maria Lapuente, Fei Ma, Irati Rodriguez Matesanz, Kelly Elizabeth McCann, Yeon Hee Park, Hope S. Rugo, Hitomi Sakai, Florian Strasser, Benjamin Walbaum, Shusen Wang
Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) has transformed the treatment landscape for patients with HER2-positive and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, offering substantial clinical benefit across different disease settings.
However, maximizing its therapeutic potential requires more than recognizing its efficacy: it also demands proactive and effective management of treatment-related toxicities.
Our international survey of 99 oncologists across 13 countries highlights several important aspects of real-world clinical practice.
Three key messages emerged:
- Nausea and vomiting remain significant clinical challenges. Despite the availability of effective antiemetic strategies, approaches to prophylaxis and treatment escalation vary considerably, highlighting the need for greater consistency and optimization of supportive care.
- Fatigue is highly prevalent and often underestimated. Its impact on daily functioning and quality of life reinforces the importance of systematic assessment, early intervention, and individualized supportive-care strategies.
- Interstitial lung disease (ILD) requires continuous vigilance. Although perceived as relatively uncommon in clinical practice, its potentially serious consequences underscore the importance of early recognition, appropriate imaging surveillance, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Perhaps the most important message is that successful treatment with T-DXd should not be measured by efficacy alone. Maintaining quality of life, minimizing treatment interruptions, and supporting patients throughout their therapeutic journey are equally important components of optimal care.
Our findings emphasize the need for a proactive, individualized, and multidisciplinary approach, incorporating careful patient assessment before treatment initiation, regular monitoring during therapy, and appropriate follow-up after treatment completion.
The challenge ahead is not only to deliver effective treatment, but to ensure that patients can benefit from it safely and sustainably.”
You can also read:
