Research presented by Professor Nigel Bundred at the
European Breast Cancer Conference in Amsterdam revealed
that they had tested the effectiveness of a pair of drugs known as Herceptin
(a.k.a trastuzumab) and Lapatinib.
The two drugs are commonly used in
breast cancer treatment already, but this is the first time they had been
combined together and used before surgery and chemotherapy. What they found was
they were able to eliminate some types of breast cancer in just 11 days.
Funded by Cancer Research UK, they
aimed to use these drugs to combat a protein called HER2 (human epidermal
growth factor receptor 2) which affects the growth
and division of cancer cells. It’s also more likely to return than other
cancer types.
What also makes this treatment so
appealing is the fact that it eliminates the need for chemotherapy and surgery.
The temporary side effects like hair loss, vomiting and fatigue are also
avoided, making treatment less impactful on the body. Chemo is not entirely
effective, nor is it the right choice for a lot of patients, so any
alternatives are welcomed.
STUDY RESULTS
257 women with HER2 positive breast
cancer were selected for the study, with half being put on the drug combo and
the other half were the control group. What they found was that of those on the
drug, 11% had no cancer cells remaining within two weeks and 17% of cases
featured dramatically shrunken
tumors.
Compared to the control group who
were only given Herceptin, they were found to have 0% with no trace of cancer
cells and only 3% showed a drop in tumor size. Clearly, the two drugs combined
have a major effect on breast cancer cells as opposed to being used on their
own.
The problem currently, however, is
that Herceptin’s licensing makes it only available for use alongside chemotherapy and
not alone. The results of this study may help to change that though.
Although there’s still a lot of work
to be done, hopefully, this is a major step in the fight against one of the world’s
deadliest diseases. With medical advancements improving every year, it’s
entirely possible this could happen sooner than we think!
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