Key clinical point: Incidence of brain metastases is high in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) and triple-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC), highlighting the need for relevant screening in these high-risk populations.
Major finding: The pooled cumulative incidence of brain metastases in patients with HER2+ and triple-negative MBC was 31% (interquartile range [IQR], 24.0-34.0) and 32% (IQR,18.5-40.6) during a median follow-up of 30.7 and 32.8 months, respectively. The incidence of brain metastases per patient-year was 13% for HER2+ and triple negative MBC.
Study details: Meta-analysis of 25 studies including patients with HER2+ MBC (n=5,971), triple-negative (n=4,102), and hormone receptor+/HER2− MBC (n=14,656).
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The lead author reported no disclosures. Some of his coinvestigators reported ties with various pharmaceutical companies.
Source: Kuksis M et al. Neuro Oncol. 2020 Dec 23. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noaa285.