A new drug, effective in advanced breast cancer
It pertuzumab is a new drug that has just be authorized in Spain, and it has proved its effectiveness in combination with trastuzumab - the drug traditionally employed-, to combat an aggressive breast cancer, whose malignant cells express the protein HER2 on their surface, and which account for around 15-20% of more than 25,000 breast tumors that are diagnosed in Spain each year.
The research that has led to the development of this new therapy - one of the most important advances in the treatment of breast cancer in the last 15 years-, that can reduce the risk of death for patients up to 34%, has been directed by Spanish oncologists. And 250 medical centers in 19 countries (9 of them Spanish), and 808 women who had positive metastatic HER2 breast cancer have participated in the study.
Dr. Miguel Martín, head of the Department of medical oncology of Gregorio Marañón Hospital and President of the Spanish group for research in Breast Cancer (GEICAM), explained that this new drug acts in combination with trastuzumab (which is already used successfully for 15 years).
The pertuzumab is indicated for patients with positive HER2 breast cancer with metastasis - the most aggressive and deadly-, and in combination with trastuzumab improves outcomes up to 34%
The pertuzumab is indicated for patients with breast HER2 positive cancer with metastasis, which is the most aggressive and deadly, and the conclusions of up to three international studies who has led Spain has shown that adding pertuzumab to standard therapy improved the results up to 34% and lasts about six months the time patients live without that disease progresses.
Ana Lluch, head of Oncology of the Clinical Hospital of Valencia, said that among the advantages of the new drug highlights that it is a biologic therapy that has no toxicity, and has taken advantage of to add that in the near future is expected to have medicines capable of blocking the malignancy of cancerous cells, but with fewer side effects by going directly targeted to the tumor.
The research that has led to the development of this new therapy - one of the most important advances in the treatment of breast cancer in the last 15 years-, that can reduce the risk of death for patients up to 34%, has been directed by Spanish oncologists. And 250 medical centers in 19 countries (9 of them Spanish), and 808 women who had positive metastatic HER2 breast cancer have participated in the study.
Dr. Miguel Martín, head of the Department of medical oncology of Gregorio Marañón Hospital and President of the Spanish group for research in Breast Cancer (GEICAM), explained that this new drug acts in combination with trastuzumab (which is already used successfully for 15 years).
The pertuzumab is indicated for patients with positive HER2 breast cancer with metastasis - the most aggressive and deadly-, and in combination with trastuzumab improves outcomes up to 34%
The pertuzumab is indicated for patients with breast HER2 positive cancer with metastasis, which is the most aggressive and deadly, and the conclusions of up to three international studies who has led Spain has shown that adding pertuzumab to standard therapy improved the results up to 34% and lasts about six months the time patients live without that disease progresses.
Ana Lluch, head of Oncology of the Clinical Hospital of Valencia, said that among the advantages of the new drug highlights that it is a biologic therapy that has no toxicity, and has taken advantage of to add that in the near future is expected to have medicines capable of blocking the malignancy of cancerous cells, but with fewer side effects by going directly targeted to the tumor.
Article contributed for educational purposes