Herceptin ‘improves some breast cancer survival rates’
Around 15%-25% of women with early breast cancer have a type called HER2-receptor positive disease. Herceptin has been shown to reduce the risk of disease recurrence in women with HER2-positive early breast cancer, medical journal The Lancet reports.
In the study, doctors assessed the effect of the drug on overall survival after two years’ follow-up.
During the trial, 1,703 women were randomised to receive Herceptin for one year after surgery and chemotherapy, and 1,698 women were assigned to the control group.
They found that more deaths occurred in the observation group than in the drug group (90 vs 59), which corresponds to a survival benefit of 2.7% after three years.
There were more serious side-effects in the Herceptin group than in the observation group.
Ian Smith, from the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, said: “Our results indicate that trastuzumab (Herceptin) shows a significant overall survival benefit in early breast cancer over observation alone after chemotherapy.
“The survival benefit that has emerged over such a short period emphasises the potential of this approach and underlines the importance of developing further specific targeted therapies in breast and other cancers.”
The drug costs around £20,000 (€29,700) per year.
Maria Leadbeater, a breast cancer nurse specialist at Britain’s Breast Cancer Care, welcomed the results of the study: “This large-scale study confirms the potential benefits of Herceptin in people with HER-2 positive early stage breast cancer.
“We know, from the inquiries we receive about Herceptin from people with the disease, that many will be reassured that it confirms the drug’s effectiveness and importance as a treatment option.”
She said the study reinforces current clinical recommendations on length of treatment with the drug.
“Clearly there remains the need for further research into the long-term effects of Herceptin, which will enable us to establish the ideal duration of treatment [and] a more thorough understanding of its side effects.
“We look forward to future results that are anticipated from the HERA trial, examining the effects of taking Herceptin for two years,” Ms Leadbeater said.
* Herceptin is a breast cancer drug that is effective on the HER2-receptor positive form of the disease.
* The drug targets the HER2 protein, which can fuel breast tumours.
* Around 15-25% of women with early breast cancer have the HER2-receptor positive disease.
* An American study in 2002 showed that Herceptin may suppress a protein vital to heart function.
* Last year research, which was not a clinical trial, found that 28% of women who used the drug for at least a year suffered cardiac problems.
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