Does Herceptin work on HER2-negative breast cancer?
“We now provide a molecular explanation for the surprising finding that adjuvant Herceptin benefited some women with HER2-negative breast cancer. If this is confirmed in clinical trials, it could alter our approach to breast cancer treatment,” said study author Max S.
Do you need chemo if you are HER2-negative?
Many women with hormone-positive, HER2-negative, lymph node-negative early-stage breast cancer who have intermediate risk of cancer recurrence do not need chemotherapy. The exception is that some women who are younger than 50 may benefit when chemotherapy is added to hormone therapy.
What is the best treatment for HER2-negative breast cancer?
Hormonal therapy is considered the standard initial treatment for HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer that is also hormone receptor-positive, and is often given in combination with targeted therapy. However, chemotherapy may also be given. A clinical trial may also be an option for treatment at any stage.
What are the side effects of Taxol and Herceptin?
Both Herceptin and Taxol can cause heart problems, including decreased heart function and heart failure….Other side effects in the APT trial included:
- neuropathy (4% of the women)
- low white blood cell count (4% of the women)
- liver problems (3% of the women)
- fatigue (2% of the women)
Can HER2-negative become HER2-positive?
Research has shown that some breast cancers that are HER2-positive can become HER2-negative over time. Likewise, a HER2-negative breast cancer can become HER2-positive over time.
What is the survival rate of HER2-negative breast cancer?
Survival rates can vary based off of the subtype of breast cancer that you have. A publication from the American Cancer Society reports 5-year survival rates for HER2-negative breast cancers as: 92 percent for HER2-negative, HR-positive breast cancer. 77 percent for triple-negative breast cancer.
What does it mean if you are HER2-negative?
When a breast cancer is HER2-negative, it means that the cancerous cells do not contain high levels of the protein HER2. There are many treatment options available for this type of breast cancer, but the outlook can vary.
Is a combination of Herceptin and taxol right for HER2-positive breast cancer?
In the study, the researchers wanted to know if a combination of Herceptin and just one chemotherapy medicine, Taxol, would offer benefits to women diagnosed with small HER2-positive breast cancers that hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes and had a low risk of recurrence.
Can Herceptin or Taxol cause heart problems?
Both Herceptin and Taxol can cause heart problems, including decreased heart function and heart failure. In the APT trial, only 0.5% of the women had heart problems and these problems went away after the women finished Herceptin treatment.
Is there a standard treatment for HER2–positive breast cancer?
BACKGROUND No single standard treatment exists for patients with small, node-negative, human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancers, because most of these patients have been ineligible for the pivotal trials of adjuvant trastuzumab. METHODS
Can Herceptin cause cancer to come back?
This means that only 1.3% of the women had the cancer come back. Both Herceptin and Taxol can cause heart problems, including decreased heart function and heart failure. In the APT trial, only 0.5% of the women had heart problems and these problems went away after the women finished Herceptin treatment.