<p><strong>Cardiomyopathy</strong>: Trastuzumab can cause left ventricular cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, hypertension, disabling cardiac failure, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac death. Trastuzumab can also cause asymptomatic decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). There is a 4-6 fold increase in the incidence of symptomatic myocardial dysfunction among patients receiving Trastuzumab as a single agent or in combination therapy compared with those not receiving Trastuzumab. The highest absolute incidence occurs when Trastuzumab is administered with an anthracycline. Withhold Trastuzumab for &ge; 16% absolute decrease in LVEF from pre treatment values or an LVEF value below institutional limits of normal and &ge; 10% absolute decrease in LVEF from pretreatment values. The safety of continuation or resumption of Trastuzumab in patients with Trastuzumab-induced left ventricular cardiac dysfunction has not been studied.<br />
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<strong>Cardiac Monitoring</strong>: Conduct thorough cardiac assessment, including history, physical examination, and determination of LVEF by echocardiogram or MUGA scan. The following schedule is recommended:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Baseline LVEF measurement immediately prior to initiation of Trastuzumab</li>
	<li>LVEF measurements every 3 months during and upon completion of Trastuzumab</li>
	<li>Repeat LVEF measurement at 4 week intervals if Trastuzumab is withheld for significant left ventricular cardiac dysfunction.</li>
	<li>LVEF measurements every 6 months for at least 2 years following completion of Trastuzumab as a component of adjuvant therapy.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Infusion Reactions</strong>: Infusion reactions consist of a symptom complex characterized by fever and chills, and on occasion included nausea, vomiting, pain (in some cases at tumor sites), headache, dizziness, dyspnea, hypotension, rash, and asthenia. Serious and fatal infusion reactions have been reported. Severe reactions, which include bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, angioedema, hypoxia, and severe hypotension, were usually reported during or immediately following the initial infusion. However, the onset and clinical course were variable, including progressive worsening, initial improvement followed by clinical deterioration, or delayed post-infusion events with rapid clinical deterioration. For fatal events, death occurred within hours to days following a serious infusion reaction. Interrupt Trastuzumab infusion in all patients experiencing dyspnea, clinically significant hypotension, and intervention of medical therapy administered (which may include epinephrine, corticosteroids, diphenhydramine, bronchodilators, and oxygen). Patients should be evaluated and carefully monitored until complete resolution of signs and symptoms. Permanent discontinuation should be strongly considered in all patients with severe infusion reactions. There are no data regarding the most appropriate method of identification of patients who may safely be retreated with Trastuzumab after experiencing a severe infusion reaction. Prior to resumption of Trastuzumab infusion, the majority of patients who experienced a severe infusion reaction were pre-medicated with antihistamines and/or corticosteroids. While some patients tolerated Trastuzumab infusions, others had recurrent severe infusion reactions despite pre-medications.<br />
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<strong>Embryo-Fetal Toxicity</strong>: Trastuzumab can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Use of Trastuzumab during pregnancy resulted in cases of oligohydramnios and oligohydramnios sequence manifesting as pulmonary hypoplasia, skeletal abnormalities, and neonatal death. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 7 months following the last dose of Trastuzumab.<br />
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<strong>Pulmonary Toxicity</strong>: Trastuzumab use can result in serious and fatal pulmonary toxicity. Pulmonary toxicity includes dyspnea, interstitial pneumonitis, pulmonary infiltrates, pleural effusions, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, pulmonary insufficiency and hypoxia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis. Such events can occur as sequelae of infusion reactions. Patients with symptomatic intrinsic lung disease or with extensive tumor involvement of the lungs, resulting in dyspnea at rest, appear to have more severe toxicity.<br />
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<strong>Exacerbation of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia</strong>: In randomized, controlled clinical trials, the per-patient incidences of NCI-CTC Grade 3-4 neutropenia and of febrile neutropenia were higher in patients receiving Trastuzumab in combination with myelosuppressive chemotherapy as compared to those who received chemotherapy alone. The incidence of septic death was similar among patients who received Trastuzumab and those who did not.</p>