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Background: Up to 30% of metastatic breast cancer (BC) patients develop brain metastases (BM). Prognosis of patients with BM is poor and long-term survival is rare. Identification of factors associated with long-term survival is important for improving treatment modalities., Patients and Methods: A total of 2889 patients of the national registry for BM in BC (BMBC) were available for this analysis. Long-term survival was defined as overall survival (OS) in the upper third of the failure curve resulting in a cut-off of 15 months. A total of 887 patients were categorized as long-term survivors., Results: Long-term survivors compared to other patients were younger at BC and BM diagnosis (median 48 versus 54 years and 53 versus 59 years), more often had HER2-positive tumors (59.1% versus 36.3%), less frequently luminal-like (29.1% versus 35.7%) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (11.9% versus 28.1%), showed better Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) at the time of BM diagnosis (ECOG 0-1, 76.9% versus 51.0%), higher pathological complete remission rates after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (21.6% versus 13.7%) and lower number of BM (n = 1, BM 40.9% versus 25.4%; n = 2-3, BM 26.5% versus 26.7%; n ≥4, BM 32.6% versus 47.9%) (P < 0.001). Long-term survivors had leptomeningeal metastases (10.4% versus 17.5%) and extracranial metastases (ECM, 73.6% versus 82.5%) less frequently, and asymptomatic BM more often at the time of BM diagnosis (26.5% versus 20.1%), (P < 0.001). Median OS in long-term survivors was about two times higher than the cut-off of 15 months: 30.9 months [interquartile range (IQR) 30.3] overall, 33.9 months (IQR 37.1) in HER2-positive, 26.9 months (IQR 22.0) in luminal-like and 26.5 months (IQR 18.2) in TNBC patients., Conclusions: In our analysis, long-term survival of BC patients with BM was associated with better ECOG PS, younger age, HER2-positive subtype, lower number of BM and less extended visceral metastases. Patients with these clinical features might be more eligible for extended local brain and systemic treatment., Competing Interests: Disclosure IW received speaker’s honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Daiichi-Sankyo, Seagen, Gilead and Novartis. KL received speaker’s honoraria from Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, Exact Sciences, MSD, Eisai, Lilly, Seagen, AstraZeneca and Daiichy Sankyo. MS has received personal fees from AstraZeneca, BioNTech, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pantarhei Bioscience, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Roche and Seagen. His institution has received research funding from AstraZeneca, BioNTech, Eisai, Genentech, German Breast Group, Novartis, Palleos, Pantarhei Bioscience, Pierre Fabre and Seagen. In addition, he has a patent for EP 2390370 B1 and a patent for EP 2951317 B1 issued. SL reports grants, non-financial support and other from Daiichi-Sankyo, during the conduct of the study; grants and other from Abbvie, other from Amgen, grants and other from AstraZeneca, other from BMS, grants and other from Celgene, other from Eirgenix, other from Eisai Europe Ltd, other from GSK, grants, non-financial support and other from Immunomedics/Gilead, other from Lilly, other from Merck, grants from Molecular Health, grants, non-financial support and other from Novartis, grants, non-financial support and other from Pfizer, other from Pierre Fabre, other from Relay Therapeutics, grants, non-financial support and other from Roche, other from Sanofi, non-financial support and other from Seagen, other from Olema Pharmaceutics, outside the submitted work; In addition, SL has a patent EP14153692.0 pending, a patent EP21152186.9 pending, a patent EP15702464.7 issued, a patent EP19808852.8 pending and a patent Digital Ki67 Evaluator with royalties paid. CD reports advisory role for MSD Oncology, Daiichi-Sankyo, Molecular Health, AstraZeneca, Roche and Lilly; CD received research funding from Myriad Genetics, Roche and German Breast Group; CD owns following patents: VMScope digital pathology software, Patent WO2020109570A1, Patent WO2015114146A1, Patent WO2010076322A1. MT received personal fees from Agendia, Amgen, Art tempi, AstraZeneca, Aurikamed, Celgene, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Exact Sciences, Gilead Science, Grünenthal, GSK, Hexal, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Onkowissen, Organon, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Roche, Seagen, Servier, Streamd Up!, Viatris, Vifor, trial funding from Exact Science and institutional trial honoraria from AstraZeneca, Celgene, Novartis, Roche. VM received speaker honoraria from Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, GSK, Pfizer, MSD, Medac, Novartis, Roche, Teva, Seagen, Onkowissen, high5 Oncology, Medscape, Gilead and Pierre Fabre; consultancy honoraria from Hexal, Roche, Pierre Fabre, Amgen, ClinSol, Novartis, MSD, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Lilly, Sanofi, Seagen and Gilead; Institutional research support from Novartis, Roche, Seagen, Genentech; travel grants: Roche, Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Gilead. RW received support for advisory, consultancy, speaker and travel grants from Agendia, Amgen, Aristo, AstraZeneca, Boeringer Ingelheim, Carl Zeiss, Celgene, Clinsol, Clovis Oncology, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, Exact Sciences, Genomic Health, Gilead, Glaxo Smith Kline, Hexal, Lilly, Medstrom Medical, MSD, Mundipharma, Mylan, Nanostring, Novartis, Odonate, Paxman, Palleos, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, PINK, PumaBiotechnolgogy, Riemser, Roche, Sandoz/Hexal, Sanofi Genzyme, Seattle Genetics /Seagen, Stemline, Tesaro Bio, Teva, Veracyte and Viatris. TD received Payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Novartis, IOMEDICO and participated on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board for Novartis, IOMEDICO. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Up to 40% of patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer develop brain metastases (BMs). Understanding of clinical features of these patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and BMs is vital., Patients and Methods: A total of 2948 patients from the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer registry were available for this analysis, of whom 1311 had primary tumors with the HER2-positive subtype., Results: Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and BMs were-when compared with HER2-negative patients-slightly younger at the time of breast cancer and BM diagnosis, had a higher pathologic complete response rate after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a higher tumor grade. Furthermore, extracranial metastases at the time of BM diagnosis were less common in HER2-positive patients, when compared with HER2-negative patients. HER2-positive patients had more often BMs in the posterior fossa, but less commonly leptomeningeal metastases. The median overall survival (OS) in all HER2-positive patients was 13.2 months (95% confidence interval 11.4-14.4). The following factors were associated with shorter OS (multivariate analysis): older age at BM diagnosis [≥60 versus <60 years: hazard ratio (HR) 1.63, P < 0.001], lower Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status (2-4 versus 0-1: HR 1.59, P < 0.001), higher number of BMs (2-3 versus 1: HR 1.30, P = 0.082; ≥4 versus 1: HR 1.51, P = 0.004; global P = 0.015), BMs in the fossa anterior (HR 1.71, P < 0.001), leptomeningeal metastases (HR 1.63, P = 0.012), symptomatic BMs at diagnosis (HR 1.35, P = 0.033) and extracranial metastases at diagnosis of BMs (HR 1.43, P = 0.020). The application of targeted therapy after the BM diagnosis (HR 0.62, P < 0.001) was associated with longer OS. HER2-positive/hormone receptor-positive patients showed longer OS than HER2-positive/hormone receptor-negative patients (median 14.3 versus 10.9 months; HR 0.86, P = 0.03), but no differences in progression-free survival were seen between both groups., Conclusions: We identified factors associated with the prognosis of HER2-positive patients with BMs. Further research is needed to understand the factors determining the longer survival of HER2-positive/hormone receptor-positive patients., Competing Interests: Disclosure MT serves on the advisory board for Amgen, AstraZeneca, AURIKAMED, Becton/Dickinson, Biom‘Up, Celgene, ClearCut, Clovis, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Exact Sciences, Gilead Science, Lilly, MSD, Norgine, NeoDynamics, Novartis, Onkowissen, Pfizer, pfm Medical, Pierre-Fabre, Roche, RTI Surgical, Seagen and Sysmex; reports manuscript support from Amgen, Celgene, ClearCut, pfm medical, Roche and Servier; support for travel expenses from Amgen, Art Tempi, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Cleracut, Clovis, Connect Medica, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Exact Sciences, Hexal, I-Med-Institute, Lilly, MCI, Medtronic, MSD, Norgine, Novartis, OmniaMed, Pfizer, pfm medical, Roche and RTI Surgical; support for congress expenses from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Hexal, NeoDynamics, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche; support for speech expenses: Amgen, Art Tempi, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Clovis, Connect Medica, Eisai, Exact Sciences, Gilead Science, Hexal, I-Med-Institute, Jörg Eickeler, Lilly, MCI, Medtronic, MSD, Novartis, OmniaMed, Pfizer, pfm Medical, Roche, RTI Surgical, Seagen, Sysmex, Vifor and Viatris; trial funding support from Endomag and Exact Sciences. All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)