Ruxolitinib in Combination With Trastuzumab in Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in women. Approximately 1,150,000 cases and 410,000 deaths from breast cancer occur annually worldwide, and, in the U.S., there are an estimated 184,450 new cases and 40,480 deaths from breast cancer every year. The vast majority of patients who die from breast cancer succumb to metastatic disease. The human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 gene (HER2) is amplified in 20% to 30% of breast cancers. HER2+ breast cancers are associated with earlier recurrence and shorter overall survival and are associated with other adverse prognostic markers, such as high tumor grade, high rates of cell proliferation, increased nodal metastases, and relative resistance to certain types of chemotherapy. The HER family of receptors is a group of related transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases that regulate normal cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and migration.