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Chemotherapy and targeted therapy for breast cancer patients with hepatitis C virus infection

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Abstract

Background

Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major health problem in Egypt. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Egyptian women. Considering that both diseases are frequent in the Egyptian population, it is likely that many women are affected by both.

Purpose

To evaluate patient safety and applicability of chemotherapy in chronic hepatitis C virus-infected patients with breast cancer.

Subjects and methods

We performed retrospective survey of 58 Egyptian patients diagnosed with both diseases. We retrospectively investigated the baseline patient and tumor characteristics, the toxicities of chemotherapy, and the changes in HCV viral load before and after chemotherapy, in addition to treatment received for HCV infection.

Results

Forty-four (75.9%) out of the 58 patients received chemotherapy with or without trastuzumab and one patient received lapatinib. We reported 2 patients who had HCV viral reactivation. Treatment with trastuzumab or Lapatinib was not associated with elevation in liver enzymes or change in HCV RNA viral load. Treatment discontinuation occurred in 31.8% (14/44) of patients due to complications. Dose reductions and/or dose delays were common (27.2%). Elevated liver enzymes were developed in 20 out of 44 (45.5%) patients who received chemotherapy. Three patients received antiviral treatment concomitant with chemotherapy with no significant complications.

Conclusions

Greater attention should be paid to the possibility of complications including HCV reactivation, fulminant hepatitis, and interrupted chemotherapy treatments in breast cancer patients with chronic HCV infection receiving immunosuppressive drugs. Close monitoring of patients with breast cancer and HCV infection should be done

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our dear patients, our Molecular lab. team as well as, our dep. IT employees.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Oncology Department, Kasr Al-Ainy Center of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine (NEMROCK), Cairo University, 10 Koleat Al Tarbea Str. Haram, Cairo, Egypt

    Soha Talima

  2. Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Kasr Al-Ainy Center of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine (NEMROCK), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Hebatallah Kassem & Neemat Kassem

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  1. Soha Talima
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  2. Hebatallah Kassem
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Correspondence to Soha Talima.

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Authors declared no conflicts of interest.

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The original version of this article was revised to correct the names of the coauthors.

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Talima, S., Kassem, H. & Kassem, N. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy for breast cancer patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Breast Cancer 26, 154–163 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-018-0904-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-018-0904-2

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