Trastuzumab 'could be useful' for breast cancer patients
Monday 8th February 2010
Those with breast cancer may benefit from being treated with trastuzumab, as research has revealed that event-free survival after three years is more likely if sufferers receive this therapy.
The industry-funded study showed that this outcome - no recurrence, progression or death - occurred in 71 per cent of those on the medication, compared to 56 per cent of those being given chemotherapy alone, Clinical Pharmacist reports.
Such a conclusion was reached after chemotherapy was given, with or without trastuzumab, to 235 women for approximately six months until surgery was undertaken.
According to the news source, trastuzumab is currently only available for those women with early operable or HER2-positive metastic breast cancer.
Commonly referred to as Herceptin, trastuzumab belongs to a new group of drugs called monoclonal antibodies and interferes with how cancer cells in the breast divide and grow, Macmillan reports.
It is only effective in those who have high levels of protein HER2 and it was noted that around one in five women have tumours that are receptive to Herceptin.
Written by Martin Lambert
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