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What is tdm1 chemotherapy?

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 26, 2023.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

T-DM1 chemotherapy refers to treatment with Kadcyla, which is a targeted treatment that may be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer in women who meet certain criteria. The chemical name for Kadcyla is T-DM1 (also called ado-trastuzumab emtansine) and it is a combination of two medicines: trastuzumab which is a targeted treatment and DM1 which is a cytotoxic agent (also known as mertansine). Trastuzumab targets HER2-expressing breast cancer cells and delivers DM1 directly to them.

Kadcyla belongs to the class of medicines known as antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs. It may also be called a conjugated monoclonal antibody. Trastuzumab is also available by itself as Herceptin.

References

Kadcyla Breast cancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/targeted_therapies/kadcyla

  • Kadcyla for Breast Cancer. Cancer Connect. https://news.cancerconnect.com/breast-cancer/kadcyla-t-dm1-significantly-improves-treatment-of-her-2-breast-cancers
  • Trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) Cancer Now. https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/going-through-breast-cancer-treatment/targeted-therapy/trastuzumab-emtansine-kadcyla
  • Research and Development of Highly Potent Antibody-Based Drug Conjugates and Fusion Proteins for Cancer Therapy Rong-guang Shao, Yong-su Zhen, in Recent Advances in Cancer Research and Therapy, 2012 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/mertansine

Read next

If you are receiving Perjeta for treatment of HER2+ early breast cancer, you may continue treatments with Herceptin every 3 weeks for one year (18 cycles total). For the treatment of HER2+ metastatic breast cancer, you will receive Perjeta and Herceptin until the medicine no longer controls your breast cancer or you have side effects that require you to stop treatment. You may receive other treatments with these medications. Continue reading

After Herceptin treatment, your doctor will monitor you regularly for cancer progression, advise you not to become pregnant for at least 7 months (if you are of childbearing potential), and test your heart every 6 months for at least 2 years, because there is a higher risk of developing long-term heart damage in people who take Herceptin. Continue reading

Treatment regimens for Herceptin vary depending on hospital protocols, but for the treatment of HER2+ early breast cancer, treatment is usually continued for one year (up to 18 cycles). Continue reading

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