| One of the biggest and most exciting advances in | | | | Herceptin is the wave of the future. |
| recent history in the fight against breast cancer is | | | | So how does a breast cancer patient receive |
| a drug called Herceptin. (Trastuzumab) The drug | | | | herceptin? Their cancer must show that it |
| has shown to be very successful against certain | | | | over-expresses the HER2 protein. This is |
| types of advanced breast cancers. Some more | | | | determined by having a pathologist test the |
| recent clinical trials have shown that herceptin | | | | cancerous cells that were removed from the |
| may also be successful against certain types of | | | | breast during surgery. He or she will stain the |
| earlier stage breast cancers. Herceptin has been | | | | tissue with a solution that will highlight any instance |
| approved for use in 1998 by the FDA. | | | | of overproduction of HER2. If a patient has the |
| By certain types of cancers we are referring to | | | | HER2 over-expression present, they are |
| those that over-express a protein that is called | | | | considered to be HER2 positive and therefore it |
| HER2. HER2 stands for human epidermal growth | | | | could be possible to treat their cancer with |
| factor receptor 2. HER2 can be found on the | | | | herceptin if needed. |
| surface of cells and it is what is responsible for | | | | Herceptin is not for everyone. It is approved for |
| keeping the growth of the cell in check. When | | | | treatment of women with advanced cancer in |
| HER2 malfunctions and begins to produce too | | | | combination with the chemotherapy drug, |
| much of itself due to a mutation it can cause the | | | | paclitaxel. There are side effects associated with |
| cells to produce too much of themselves too | | | | the drug and one of those includes cardiotoxicity |
| quickly. This in turn can make cancers behave in a | | | | which can cause serious heart problems in |
| much more aggressive manner. The HER2 | | | | patients. Therefore heart monitoring before, |
| over-expression is a factor in 20% to 30% of | | | | during and after treatment is crucial. Less serious |
| breast cancer occurrences. | | | | side effects include fever, chills, increased cough, |
| The official scientific big word description of | | | | diarrhea and weakness. If herceptin is given with |
| Herceptin is that it is a monoclonal antibody, | | | | chemotherapy, nausea is possible. Other |
| engineered via biotechnology. The way it works is | | | | moderately severe side effects include loss of |
| by attaching itself to any cells that are | | | | white blood cells and anemia. |
| overproducing the HER2 protein. It attacks the | | | | A diagnosis of breast cancer can be a frightening |
| protein receptors which then slows the growth of | | | | thing, especially if you are in the percentage of |
| the cells down. It targets the HER2 protein as | | | | patients that have the more aggressive HER2 |
| opposed to traditional types of treatment which | | | | cancer. Knowing that there is another treatment |
| tend to destroy all fast growing cells in their path, | | | | that has been proven to be effective against |
| healthy or cancerous. This is a big improvement | | | | those types of cancers brings increased hope of |
| over certain types of chemotherapy. The | | | | survival to these women and men. |
| development of targeted treatments like | | | | |