Safety and efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1) in a patient on hemodialysis for renal failure.

HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer is an aggressive disease with a limited number of treatment options. In the last 15 years, new drugs such as trastuzumab, pertuzumab, lapatinib or trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1) have sprouted for these patients. There is a huge lack of evidence on the use of some of these drugs in patients with chronic renal failure, who need hemodialysis. We have reviewed the use of TDM-1 in these type of patients in the literature with unsuccessful results. In this article we want to present a case report to illustrate the safety and efficacy of TDM-1 in a patient on hemodialysis.