Safety and efficacy evaluation of pertuzumab in patients with solid tumors

BACKGROUND: The development of targeted therapies benefits patients with certain markers in the treatment of breast cancer. Pertuzumab is a novel humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) dimerization. The Food and Drug Administration has approved pertuzumab in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. METHODS: To assess the safety and efficacy profile of pertuzumab, we searched PubMed and Embase (articles from January 1966 to January 2015) using the keyword “pertuzumab”. RESULTS: Fourteen eligible studies were included in our final analysis. From the results of our analysis, diarrhea (56.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 49.6%–63.9%), nausea (34.0%, 95% CI 27.7%–40.8%), and rash (25.6%, 95% CI 20.8%–31.0%) were the most common adverse effects in pertuzumab alone and pertuzumab-based therapies. Based on randomized controlled clinical trials, diarrhea (odds ratio [OR] 2.310, 95% CI 1.818–2.936), rash (OR 1.848, 95% CI 1.094–3.122), and febrile neutropenia (OR 1.672, 95% CI 1.130–2.474) were of statistical significance, which meant that pertuzumab played a prominent role in the incidence of diarrhea. Meanwhile, pertuzumab showed its effective role in cancer control and lifetime prolongation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, considering that the common adverse effects for pertuzumab are gastrointestinal and skin toxicities, which are easier to handle than other toxicities, pertuzumab is a safe and effective drug for patients with solid tumors.