Phase 2 Neoadjuvant Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide -> Docetaxel With Lapatinib in Stage II/III Her2Neu+ Breast Cancer

Lapatinib acts as a dual inhibitor of both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ErbB-2 (Her2/neu) tyrosine kinase activity. EGFR and ErbB2 receptors are frequently over-expressed or altered in human cancers including breast cancer. This study plans to determine the antitumor activity of this regimen and its effectiveness preventing tumor growth and spread. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy which achieves pathologic complete responses (pCR) has been shown to predict improved long-term survival and serves as a surrogate for clinical outcome. By using this primary endpoint we can obtain statistical data with smaller patient numbers and at a lower overall cost. Additionally, we hope to correlate clinical and radiologic outcomes with gene expression data.