Indirect comparison lapatinib+capecitabine vs trastuzumab+capecitabine in metastic breast cancer

Trial description: An indirect comparison of lapatinib plus capecitabine versus trastuzumab plus capecitabine was conducted by using data from two studies:• EGF100151 (a phase III randomised, open-label, global, multi-centre, parallel-group trial to evaluate and compare the treatment of lapatinib plus capecitabine versus capecitabine alone in women with HER2 positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer who had received prior therapy which included anthracyclines and taxanes in any setting and trastuzumab in the metastatic setting) (Geyer 2006, Cameron 2008 and Cameron 2010).• GBG 26 (phase III open label randomised trial that evaluated trastuzumab in combination with capecitabine compared to capecitabine monotherapy in HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer patients who had progressed on trastuzumab whilst in the first line metastatic setting) (von Minckwitz 2009 and von Minckwitz 2011).EGF100151 and GBG 26 were identified from a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of regimens, lapatinib plus capecitabine and trastuzumab plus capecitabine and vinorelbine plus capecitabine, in breast cancer patients with advanced or metastatic disease whose tumours over-express HER2 positive with progression following prior therapy which must have included anthracyclines and taxanes in any setting and therapy with trastuzumab in the metastatic setting. For inclusion in the review, at least 50% of the patients recruited in the trial must have had prior treatment with anthracyclines and taxanes in any setting and at least 90% of the patients must have had trastuzumab containing regimens in the metastatic setting.