Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) that is indicated for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The administration of biologics, such as trastuzumab, frequently causes infusion reactions (IRs) with fever and chills. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for IRs in trastuzumab therapy. Between March 2013 and July 2022, 227 patients with breast cancer who started trastuzumab therapy were included in this study. The severity of IRs was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Version 5.0. The incidence of IRs in trastuzumab therapy was 27.3% (62/227). Dexamethasone administration was significantly different between the IR and non-IR groups in patients receiving trastuzumab therapy (univariate analysis, p < 0.001; multivariate analysis, p = 0.0002). Without dexamethasone, the severity of IRs in the pertuzumab combination group (Grade 1, 8/65; Grade 2, 23/65) was significantly higher than that in the non-pertuzumab group (Grade 1, 9/37; Grade 2, 3/37; p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the risk of IRs is significantly higher in patients not premedicated with dexamethasone in trastuzumab therapy and that the concomitant use of pertuzumab without dexamethasone increases the severity of IRs caused by trastuzumab.
Keywords: breast cancer; infusion reaction; premedication; risk factor; trastuzumab.