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In breast cancer, overexpression of HER2 is associated with an aggressive tumor phenotype and poor prognosis. Lapatinib has demonstrated benefit in combination with capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after prior treatment with an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab. It has also demonstrated benefit with paclitaxel in patients with metastatic disease not previously treated with chemotherapy. This review discusses results from clinical trials suggesting an advantage with the use of lapatinib with other treatment modalities in the setting of metastatic and locally advanced disease.

To redefine the utility of CSF-ACE as a selective indicator of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis.The diagnosis of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis required: (a) biopsy evidence of systemic sarcoidosis, (b) cortical, brainstem, and/or spinal cord deficits, (c) enhancing lesions on brain and/or spinal cord MRI, and (d) exclusion of other etiologies which could account for the neurological deficits. Radioassay measurement of CSF-ACE activity was performed in 11 patients who met our criteria for probable CNS neurosarcoidosis and 207 control patients.The M +/- SD for CSF-ACE activity was significantly higher (p0.05) for the 11 probable CNS neurosarcoidosis patients (9.5 +/- 6.9 nmol/mL/min) than for the control patients (2.9 +/- 2.7 nmol/mL/min). The optimal CSF-ACE activity discriminator value was 8 nmol/mL/min. At this value, the sensitivity and specificity of CSF-ACE activity was 55% and 94%, respectively.CSF-ACE activity is a useful biochemical marker of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis when brain and/or spinal cord MRI show diffuse enhancing lesions.

e21036 Background: The oligometastatic state is one of limited metastases, amenable to local therapies of curative potential. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a non-surgical treatment with a primary goal of rapid local tumor control and low toxicity allowing prompt return to systemic therapy. Breast (BRC), colorectal (CRC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) have oligometastases as first presentation. In these patients, consolidative SBRT offers effective local control and low toxicity, with the potential for improved survival benefit without affecting quality of life. We report our experience on such patients. Methods: 31 patients with BRC (9), CRC (16) and NSCLC (6) with ≤ 5 unresectable metastases to one to three organ sites were identified. Data were obtained from chart review. Primary end point was infield local control. Lesions with at least 6 months of radiographic follow-up were assessable. Secondary end points were toxicity and survival. Results: All patients completed SBRT to 38 lesions (≤2/patient). 29 received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. 14 were treated with at least 1 prior regimen and 15 at least 2 (0-8). At a median follow-up of 16 months (4-32), 22 patients (8 BRC, 10 CRC and 4 NSCLC) were assessable. At 6 months, 20 patients had infield local control and 3 demonstrated distant metastases. At 1 year, this was seen in 19 and 7 patients respectively. The most common toxicity was grade ≤2 fatigue. All BRC had infield local control at 6 months and 1 year. Among CRC, 9 had infield local control at 6 months and 7 at 1 year. 3 NSCLC patients had infield local control at 6 months and 1 year. No BRC demonstrated distant progression at 6 months; at 1 year, it was seen in 2 patients. 3 CRC had evidence of distant progression at 6 months and 1 year. 1 NSCLC patient had distant progression at 6 months and 2 at 1 year. 6 patients died from their underlying malignancy; the median survival for 5 of these patients was 20 months (5-34). Conclusions: The combination of systemic chemotherapy and consolidative SBRT is safe and effective for patients with oligometastatic disease