Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41034771›Full record

Observational studyBMC cancer2025

Real-world management strategies and clinical outcomes of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer in Greece in the second-line setting and beyond (the togetHER study).

Ippokratis Korantzis, Anna Koumarianou, Vassiliki Rapti, Eleni Timotheadou, Christos Christodoulou, Dimitrios Tryfonopoulos, Sofia Karageorgopoulou, Ioannis Boukovinas, Flora Zagouri, Adamantia Nikolaidi and 10 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Ippokratis KorantzisDepartment of Medical Oncology, Saint Luke's Hospital, 552 36, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Anna KoumarianouHematology Oncology Unit, Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 124 62, Athens, Greece.
Vassiliki RaptiOncology Department, Hygeia Hospital, 151 23, Athens, Greece.
Eleni TimotheadouDepartment of Medical Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 564 29, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Christos ChristodoulouSecond Department of Medical Oncology, Metropolitan Hospital, 185 47, Piraeus, Greece.
Dimitrios TryfonopoulosSecond Department of Medical Oncology, Agios Savvas Anticancer Hospital, 115 22, Athens, Greece.
Sofia KarageorgopoulouThird Department of Medical Oncology, IASO Clinic, 151 23, Athens, Greece.
Ioannis BoukovinasMedical Oncology Unit, Bioclinic, 546 22, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Flora ZagouriDepartment of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Adamantia NikolaidiOncology Department, Mitera Hospital, 151 23, Athens, Greece.
Konstantinos PapazisisOncology Department, Euromedica General Clinic, 115 28, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Evangelia RazisThird Department of Medical Oncology, Hygeia Hospital, 151 23, Athens, Greece.
Vasileios BarbounisFifth Department of Medical Oncology, IASO Clinic, 151 23, Athens, Greece.
Athina ChristopoulouOncology Unit, ST Andrews General Hospital of Patras, 263 32, Patras, Greece.
Dimitrios MavroudisDepartment of Medical Oncology, University Hospital of Heraklion and Medical School, University of Crete, 700 13, Heraklion, Greece.
Vassilios GeorgouliasFirst Department of Medical Oncology, Metropolitan General Hospital of Athens, 155 62, Cholargos, Greece.
Georgios KesisisOncology Department, Saint Luke's Private Hospital, 552 36, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Emmanuel I PapadopoulosMedical Department, AstraZeneca Greece, 6-8 Agisilaou Str, 151 23, Maroussi, Athens, Greece. manos.papadopoulos@astrazeneca.com.
Rozalia MichaleaMedical Department, AstraZeneca Greece, 6-8 Agisilaou Str, 151 23, Maroussi, Athens, Greece.
Alexandros ArdavanisFirst Department of Medical Oncology, Saint Savvas Hospital, 115 22, Athens, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the realm of HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the advent of targeted therapies, notably trastuzumab and pertuzumab, represents a substantial advancement in enhancing patient outcomes. However, the intricacies of treatment escalate when patients encounter progression or resistance during first-line (1L) therapy. The togetHER study aimed to elucidate real-world insights into the profile, management strategies, and outcomes for HER2+ MBC patients initiating second-line treatment (2LT) in Greece, predating recent international guideline changes incorporating trastuzumab deruxtecan and tucatinib in the second line and beyond lines of treatments.

methodsData from adult female patients with HER2+ MBC who had initiated 2LT between 01-Jan-2015 and 31-Dec-2018 in 18 oncology departments across Greece were retrospectively abstracted through medical chart review.

resultsThe eligible population comprised 122 patients, 68.0% of whom presented with recurrent MBC. Among the latter, 26.5% were tested for HER2 both in early and metastatic settings with 27.3% of them changing HER2 status from negative to positive. Retesting of HER2 expression following 2LT initiation was recorded in 8 cases. At 2LT initiation, patients' median age was 57.0 years and 63.6% were hormone receptor-positive. The most common metastatic sites were bone (56.6%), lung (44.3%), liver (41.0%), and brain (29.5%). Anti-HER2 agent usage in 1L and 2L stood at 91.8% and 92.6%, respectively, with rates slightly diminishing in third (3L) (85.9%) and fourth line (4L) (82.4%). Endocrine therapy administration was generally low across treatment lines (12.3%, 9.9%, and 5.9%, in 2L, 3L, and 4L respectively), while chemotherapy use increased from 30.3% in 2L to 47.9% and 47.1% to 3L and 4L, correspondingly. Median progression-free survival (PFS) for 2L, 3L, and 4L was 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.0-14.4], 6.4 (95% CI 5.4-7.1), and 5.6 (95% CI 2.6-9.0) months, respectively, while median overall survival was 25.0 (95% CI 20.5-34.4) months.

conclusionsAlthough the 2LT pattern in Greece generally aligned with guidelines, persistently poor treatment outcomes underscore a significant unmet medical need for these patients.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBreast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedFemaleGreeceHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm MetastasisOxazolesPyridinesQuinazolinesRetrospective StudiesAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesOxazolespertuzumabPyridinesQuinazolinesTrastuzumabtucatinibAnti-HER2Metastatic breast cancerOSPFSReal-worldTreatment patterns

Identifiers

PMID41034771
PMCPMC12487351

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.