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Research table: Tucatinib (Tukysa) for metastatic breast cancer treatment

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: The drug tucatinib (Tukysa) is a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors target tyrosine-kinase enzymes, which are important for cell functions.

Tucatinib in combination with the HER2-targeted therapy drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy can be used to treat HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. This combination may give women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, including those with brain metastases, more time before the cancer worsens compared to treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy alone [1-2].

Adding tucatinib to treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy may also increase overall survival.

Learn more about tucatinib, including its side effects.

Study selection criteria: Randomized clinical trials with 300 or more participants with 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
(95% CI)

Randomized clinical trials

HER2CLIMB [1-2]

612

Tucatinib with trastuzumab and chemotherapy (capecitabine)

41%
(35%-46%)*,†

Overall survival at 2 years:
51%
(46%-56%)*,‡

 

 

Trastuzumab and chemotherapy (capecitabine)

23%
(17%-30%)*,†

Overall survival at 2 years:
40%
(33%-47%)*,‡

* Statistically significant difference between the 2 treatment groups

† Findings are for all study participants. Tucatinib also improved the objective response rate among people with brain metastases. The overall response rate was 47% (34%-61%) for those who got tucatinib with trastuzumab and chemotherapy and 20% (6%-44%) for those who got trastuzumab and chemotherapy.

‡ Findings are for all study participants. Tucatinib also improved overall survival for those with brain metastases. Overall survival at 1 year was 70% (63%-76%) for those with brain metastases who got tucatinib with trastuzumab and chemotherapy and 51% (40%-60%) for those who got trastuzumab and chemotherapy. Overall survival at 2 years was 49% (41%-56%) for those with brain metastases who got tucatinib with trastuzumab and chemotherapy and 25% (17%-34%) for those who got trastuzumab and chemotherapy.

References

  1. Murthy RK, Loi S, Okines A, et al. Tucatinib, trastuzumab, and capecitabine for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 382(7):597-609, 2020.
  2. Lin NU, Murthy RK, Abramson V, et al. Tucatinib vs placebo, both in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine, for previously treated ERBB2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer in patients with brain metastases: updated exploratory analysis of the HER2CLIMB randomized clinical trial. JAMA Oncol. 9(2):197-205, 2023.

Updated 09/11/23