Lux-Breast 3; Afatinib Alone or in Combination With Vinorelbine in Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Positive Breast Cancer Suffering From Brain Metastases

Inclusion criteria

• patients with HER2 positive breast cancer with a documented central nervous system (CNS) recurrence/progression (by imaging) during or after a HER2 inhibitor (Trastuzumab and/or Lapatinib) based therapy (no leptomeningeal carcinomatosis as the only site of CNS metastases)
• at least one measurable and progressive lesion in the brain (=10 mm on T1-weighted, gadolinium-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Measurable or non measurable extracranial metastases allowed.
• previous treatment with HER2 inhibitors to be discontinued prior to first study treatment administration (at least 14 days for trastuzumab and other antibodies, at least 7 days for lapatinib).
• previous chemotherapy and hormonal therapy (adjuvant and metastatic regimens) allowed, but chemotherapy must have been discontinued at least 14 days and hormonal therapy at least 7 days prior to first study treatment administration.
• Patients must have recovered to baseline condition or to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 3.0 grade = 1 from any acute CTCAE v. 3.0 grade =2 side effects of previous treatments.
• prior surgery, whole brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery allowed provided that there is unequivocal evidence of one or more new and/or progressive brain metastases after completion of whole brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery.

Exclusion criteria

• Prior treatment with HER2- tyrosine kinase inhibitor other than lapatinib
• Any other current malignancy or malignancy diagnosed within the past five (5) years (other than bilateral primary breast cancer, metastases to the contralateral breast, non-melanomatous skin cancer and in situ cervical cancer).
• Significant chronic or recent acute gastrointestinal disorders with diarrhoea as a major symptom e.g. Crohn's disease, malabsorption or Common Terminology Criteria (CTC) grade =2 diarrhoea of any aetiology.