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Breast Cancer Drug Herceptin Linked to Risk of Heart Problems: Study
Posted 10 Jun 2014 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 9, 2014 – As many as one in 10 women taking the breast cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) will experience some type of heart problem, according to new research. The good news from this study is that these problems typically reverse once treatment is finished. "The overall message here is one of tremendous reassurance," said study researcher Dr. Brian Leyland-Jones, vice president of molecular and experimental medicine at Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D. The study was published June 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology online. Roche, the maker of Herceptin, provided research funding. Some of the study's co-authors work for Roche or are advisers or consultants. Herceptin is used in breast cancers that test positive for HER 2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. Herceptin kills the cells, and is known to boost ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Some Breast Cancer Patients May Get Drug-Linked Heart Failure: Study
Posted 3 Jun 2014 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, June 3, 2014 – More than one in 10 older breast cancer patients treated with certain chemotherapy drugs develop heart failure, but many don't get proper treatment for their heart condition, a new study suggests. "The majority of older women who develop heart problems after their breast cancer therapy aren't treated by a cardiologist, and they had lower quality of care," study lead author Dr. Jersey Chen, a research scientist and cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Rockville, Md., said in an American Heart Association news release. The study was to be presented Tuesday at an American Heart Association meeting in Baltimore. Chen's team analyzed Medicare data on 8,400 breast cancer patients older than 65 who were treated either with chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines, or a targeted therapy called trastuzumab. Prior research has linked both of these treatments to heart ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, Herceptin, Adriamycin, Doxorubicin, Epirubicin, Valrubicin, Lipodox, Doxil, Daunorubicin, Novantrone, Idamycin, Adriamycin RDF, Pharmorubicin RDF, DaunoXome, Idarubicin, Ellence, Trastuzumab, Daunorubicin Liposomal
Certain Breast Cancer Patients May Need Little Treatment After Tumor Removal
Posted 3 Jun 2014 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 2, 2014 – Breast cancer patients with small-sized "HER2-positive" tumors have a low risk of cancer recurrence, even without chemotherapy and an especially potent drug called trastuzumab, a new study finds. HER2-positive breast cancer, which accounts for 15 percent to 20 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States, has been shown to respond well to the antibody medication trastuzumab. However, the drug can cause heart failure in some patients, particularly those who are older and have other diseases, the authors of the new study noted. "Our results suggest that trastuzumab therapy may not be needed for patients with HER2-positive tumors that are 0.5 centimeters in size or smaller," lead author Dr. Lou Fehrenbacher, medical director of Kaiser Permanente Oncology Clinical Trials and oncologist with Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, said in a Kaiser news ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Experts Issue Treatment Guidelines for Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer
Posted 6 May 2014 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 5, 2014 – Two sets of guidelines for treating patients with an aggressive form of breast cancer have been released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). According to ASCO, about 15 percent to 20 percent of breast cancers are known as "HER2-positive," meaning that they carry high levels of the HER2 protein, which causes tumor cells to grow and divide faster than happens with most other breast cancers. This means that HER2-positive cases are especially aggressive and tough to treat. However, doctors now "have several treatments for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, all of which are associated with improved survival," Dr. Eric Winer, co-chair of the expert panel that developed the guidelines, said in an ASCO news release. "We're very fortunate that now we have multiple studies that give us a clear picture of how these newer agents should be used." In the ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Tykerb, Perjeta, Lapatinib, Pertuzumab, Trastuzumab
New Treatment for Aggressive Breast Cancer Shows Some Promise
Posted 11 Dec 2013 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2013 – Women with aggressive breast cancer who receive combination targeted therapy with chemotherapy prior to surgery have a slightly improved chance of staying cancer-free, researchers say. However, the improvement was not statistically significant and the jury is still out on combination treatment, said lead researcher Dr. Martine Piccart-Gebhart, chair of the Breast International Group, in Brussels. "I don't think that tomorrow we should switch to a new standard of care," she said. Piccart-Gebhart presented her findings Wednesday at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, alongside other research that investigated ways to improve treatment for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. This aggressive form of cancer is linked to a genetic irregularity. Other researchers reported the following: The targeted drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) worked better in ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Carboplatin, Taxotere, Docetaxel, Tykerb, Lapatinib, Carboplatin Novaplus, Trastuzumab, Paraplatin, Docefrez
Cancer Chemotherapy Tied to Slight Rise in Risk for Leukemia
Posted 14 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Feb. 14 – Chemotherapy can be a lifesaver for thousands of cancer patients, but a new study suggests that it might slightly raise the odds for a type of leukemia later in life. Over the past 30 years, the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has increased for patients who underwent chemotherapy for certain forms of cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the new study found. On the other hand, the researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute said other cancer survivors may have a reduced risk for AML due to a change in chemotherapy agents that occurred decades ago. One expert not connected to the study stressed that cancer patients need to put the findings into perspective. "It's important to realize that the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia related to prior chemotherapy is small and increases with the number of chemotherapy treatments given over time," ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Provera, Methotrexate, Depo-Provera, Lupron, Accutane, Tamoxifen, Medroxyprogesterone, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Femara, Gleevec, Fluorouracil, Claravis, Rituxan, Tretinoin, Zoladex, Votrient, Tarceva, Avastin
No Benefit Seen in Extending Herceptin for Breast Cancer
Posted 7 Dec 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Dec. 7 – For women with a specific type of breast cancer, taking Herceptin for a year after initial treatment is just as effective – and safer – than staying on it for a longer period, new research suggests. Many of the women in the study, who had HER2-postive early stage breast cancer, were cancer-free eight years later and experienced no major heart problems, the international study on Herceptin (trastuzumab) found. "Giving trastuzumab for [two years] did not improve disease-free or overall survival, compared with one year of trastuzumab treatment," study author Dr. Martine Piccart, president of the European Society for Medical Oncology and chairwoman of the Breast International Group, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research. The study was run by the Breast International Group and Roche, the maker of Herceptin. HER2-positive cancers are a ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Herceptin May Carry Higher Heart Risks for Women Than Thought
Posted 15 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 – The risks of developing heart problems while taking the breast cancer drug Herceptin alone or with other anti-cancer drugs may be even higher for older women than thought, new research indicates. Herceptin (trastuzumab) has long been used to treat breast cancers that overproduce HER-2, also known as human epidermal growth factor. The drug improves disease-free and overall survival, but experts have known that it increases the risk of heart failure because it can affect the ability of the heart to pump blood. It can also raise the chances of developing cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle becomes enlarged or rigid. Now, a new study that focused on women aged 67 and older has found that the risk may be higher than believed. The report is published online Nov. 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. For older women, the message is this, said study ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Breast Cancer Drug May Harm the Heart More Than Thought
Posted 30 Aug 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 – Women with breast cancer who are treated with the cancer drug Herceptin may have more long-term cardiac problems than experts have thought, new research suggests. It has been known that women treated with anti-cancer drugs known as anthracyclines and Herceptin (trastuzumab) are at higher risk for heart failure and cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. But, that information on risks has come primarily from clinical trials, which typically exclude women aged 70 and older and those with co-existing chronic diseases, so it doesn't necessarily give a real-world picture, the researchers noted. "The risk of heart failure associated with these drugs might be higher than what has been shown in clinical trials," explained study author Erin Aiello Bowles, an epidemiologist at Group Health Research Institute, in Seattle. Her report is published online Aug. 30 in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Is Cancer Outwitting 'Personalized Medicine'?
Posted 7 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 7 – The genetic makeup of cancer cells differs significantly from region to region within a single tumor, according to new research that raises questions about the true potential of personalized cancer medicine. With this treatment approach, doctors study a tumor's genetic makeup to determine which drugs would work best in a particular patient. But if the genetic mutations driving the cancer cells vary widely, a single tissue sample won't necessarily give the full picture. This "targeted therapy" involves "sticking a needle into the primary tumor site and taking a small sliver of a tumor, doing a gene analysis, and creating a genetic profile of the tumor to predict how the tumor will behave," explained Dr. Dan Longo, an oncologist and deputy editor at the New England Journal of Medicine. "What this paper tells us is that is an oversimplification of the complexity of ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Tarceva, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Herceptin, Erlotinib, Trastuzumab
Drug Duo May Help Fight Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer
Posted 17 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 17 – Combining two drugs that target an aggressive type of breast cancer known as HER2-positive appears to work better than using either drug alone, researchers report. The dual-drug approach greatly boosted the chances of eliminating microscopic signs of early cancer by the time a woman was due to have surgery, said researcher Dr. Jose Baselga, chief of hematology/oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The study was published online Jan. 17 in The Lancet. The two drugs are Tykerb (lapatinib) and Herceptin (trastuzumab). Using both together resulted in a 51 percent response, compared with a 30 percent response in women given Herceptin alone. Those given Tykerb alone had a 25 percent response. "What we observed was a massive improvement in response," Baselga said. GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Tykerb, ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Tykerb, Lapatinib, Trastuzumab
Genetic Profiling Adds New Dimension to Breast Cancer Treatment
Posted 14 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Oct. 14 – Treatment for breast cancer has advanced in recent years by becoming more and more personalized. Not personalized to the patient, mind you, but to the particular tumors and cancer cells inside that patient. New tests are allowing doctors to figure out what genetic or biological factors are driving each individual woman's type of cancer, and new therapies are being targeted to directly attack those specific factors. "When it comes to treating breast cancer, we used to throw the book at everyone," said Dr. Christy A. Russell, a board member of the American Cancer Society's California division and an associate professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. "Now it's much more targeted." That's a message worth sharing during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The same five treatment options are still available to women with breast cancer: ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Trastuzumab
Drug Combo Might Fight Aggressive Breast Cancer More Safely
Posted 5 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5 – Treating women with an aggressive form of early stage breast cancer using Herceptin and chemotherapy, while not turning to a third type of drug known as an anthracycline, improves survival while posing less danger to the heart, researchers report. They tested three different regimens, one of which did not include any anthracyclines. When Herceptin is given with doxorubicin (Adriamycin), an anthracycline, toxic cardiac effects have been seen. "What the study shows is you have comparable effectiveness in a Herceptin-based regimen when you don't use the anthracyclines," said Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of clinical and translational research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. Earlier research of his led to the development of Herceptin (trastuzumab). He contends that the new regimen should be the new standard of care, ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Herceptin, Taxotere, Carboplatin, Adriamycin, Doxorubicin, Docetaxel, Adriamycin RDF, Docefrez, Adriamycin PFS, Carboplatin Novaplus, Paraplatin
Cancer Patients Should Ask Doctors to Use Simple Terms
Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Cancer patients are often faced with many difficult-to-understand treatment choices that can have serious side effects and even mean the difference between life and death. That's why it's crucial that patients insist doctors use plain language in explaining the options, advised Angela Fagerlin, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a researcher at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. "People are making life and death decisions that may affect their survival and they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Cancer treatments and tests can be serious. Patients need to know what kind of side effects they might experience as a result of the treatment they undergo," Fagerlin said in a university news release. She and her colleagues outlined a number of tips to help patients get the information they need ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Provera, Methotrexate, Breast Cancer, Depo-Provera, Lupron, Accutane, Prostate Cancer, Tamoxifen, Medroxyprogesterone, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Femara, Gleevec, Fluorouracil, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Claravis, Rituxan, Lung Cancer, Tretinoin
Breast Cancer Drug Raises Risk of Heart Problems in Older Women: Study
Posted 10 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 10 – The breast cancer drug Herceptin increases the risk of heart problems in elderly patients, especially those with a history of heart disease and/or diabetes, a new study says. Researchers analyzed the medical records of 45 women, ages 70 to 92, who were treated with Herceptin (trastuzumab) since 2005 and found that 12 (26.7 percent) of them developed heart problems caused by the drug. That rate is slightly higher than what was noted in earlier clinical trials of younger, healthier women. In this new study, 33 percent of the women with a history of heart disease developed either asymptomatic or symptomatic heart problems as a result of taking Herceptin, compared with 9.1 percent of women without a history of heart disease. The researchers also found that about 33 percent of women with diabetes developed heart problems, compared with 6 percent of diabetes-free women. ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, Herceptin
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Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Esophageal Carcinoma, Salivary Gland Cancer
