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Trastuzumab Emtansine and Pertuzumab before Surgery in Treating Patients with HER2-Positive Stage II-III Breast Cancer

Trial Status: closed to accrual

This phase II trial studies how well trastuzumab emtansine and pertuzumab before surgery work in treating patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive stage II-III breast cancer. HER2 is a protein found on the surface of cancer cells that helps them to grow and spread. Pertuzumab may kill cancer cells by binding to HER2-positive on the surface of the tumor cells and blocking their ability to grow and spread. Trastuzumab emtansine is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called DM1. Trastuzumab is a form of targeted therapy because it attaches to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors, and delivers DM1 to kill them. Giving pertuzumab and trastuzumab emtansine before surgery may make the tumor smaller.