Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government

Tucatinib, Trastuzumab, and Capecitabine in Treating Patients with HER2 Positive Breast Cancer with Leptomeningeal Metastases

Trial Status: administratively complete

This phase II trial studies how well tucatinib, trastuzumab, and capecitabine work in treating patients with HER2 positive breast cancer that has spread to the leptomeninges (leptomeningeal metastases). Tucatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Trastuzumab is a form of “targeted therapy” because it works by attaching itself to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors. When trastuzumab attaches to HER2 receptors, the signals that tell the cells to grow are blocked and the cancer cell may be marked for destruction by the body’s immune system. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving tucatinib, trastuzumab, and capecitabine may help to control leptomeningeal disease and improve survival in patients with breast cancer.