Positive results for Herceptin in HER2-positive breast cancer patients

Positive results for Herceptin in HER2-positive breast cancer patients

16 Dec 2014

A study focused on HER2-positive breast cancer patients, and whether they can benefit from combining Herceptin (also known as trastuzumab) with chemotherapy. They found that they had significantly improved survival, and only minimal long-term side effects.

Study on more than 4,000 breast cancer patients

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and with more than 4,000 patients enrolled, analyzed data from two independent trials designed to examine overall survival of patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer who received chemotherapy with and without Herceptin. The patients were given doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel with or without trastuzumab in both trials.

Study co-author Charles E. Geyer Jr, reveals :"We have found that when Herceptin is used in combination with chemotherapy, a patient's survival is significantly improved.”

Herceptin improved 10-year survival rates from 75% to 84%

The new analysis shows that the 10-year survival rate for HER2-positive breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy without Herceptin was 75%, whereas for those who also had Herceptin, it was 84%.

The results also show improvement in disease-free survival from 62% without Herceptin to 74% with Herceptin.

What about the side-effects?

As to the side-effects, Charles E. Geyer Jr. adds that: "There are minimal long-term side effects and the likelihood of the cancer recurring is greatly reduced." As to cardiac ones (which are a known risk to patients receiving this drug), the incidence was found to be around 3%, and most of the patients affected recovered from the initial effects.

Up to 20% of breast cancers are due to HER2

HER2 (or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) refers to the HER2 gene and its associated protein. The protein helps to control the growth of healthy cells. But if the HER2 gene is amplified, or the protein is over-expressed, the cells can grow uncontrollably and lead to cancer.

Up to 20% of invasive breast cancers are a result of HER2 gene amplification or overexpression of HER2 protein.

Source: Medical News Today