HER growth proteins do not predict outcome of herceptin treatment breast cancer patients

Proteins do not predict outcome of herceptin treatment in HER2-positive breast cancer – Precisely quantifying the amount of three different HER growth proteins, along with several other proteins believed linked to breast cancer, did not predict a patient’s outcome after treatment for HER2 Positive Breast Cancer with Herceptin, say Mayo Clinic researchers.

Tykerb with Herceptin increases advanced breast cancer survival

GSK study showed targeted therapy combination achieved 14 month overall survival in patients with advanced breast cancer – An investigational combination of TYKERB (lapatinib) plus HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab) proved a median survival of 14 months in women with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Herceptin with chemotherapy improves breast cancer survival

Mayo Clinic researchers say breast cancer survival improves Herceptin used with chemotherapy – Using Herceptin with chemotherapy clearly improves treatment of women with HER2+ breast cancer, and should be the new standard of care, says a Mayo Clinic researcher.

Math may predict Herceptin response in breast cancer patients

Mathematical modeling predicts response to Herceptin in breast cancer patients. – Cancer researchers are turning to mathematical models to help answer important clinical questions, and a new paper in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, illustrates how the technique may answer questions about Herceptin resistance.

Lower heart effects from Herceptin breast cancer treatment with chemotherapy

Cardiac effects associated with breast cancer treatment appear lower with dose-dense delivery of conventional chemotherapy – A new pilot study by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) found that breast cancer patients can be treated safely with a “dose-dense” regimen of standard chemotherapy agents and the antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin), a drug that has previously been shown to cause cardiac toxicity.

Inform Dual ISH to determine HER2 gene in breast cancer patients

FDA approves new test to help determine if breast cancer patients are candidates for Herceptin treatment – Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women. About 20 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are HER2-positive. The Inform Dual ISH test allows lab personnel to count the number of copies of HER2 genes on chromosome 17 in a small sample of the breast tumor. Copies of the HER2 gene appear black and copies of chromosome 17 appear red. Patients with more than the normal number of copies of the HER2 gene are considered candidates for Herceptin therapy.

Genomic sequencing of difficult breast cancers

Life Technologies, TGen and US Oncology partner on groundbreaking breast cancer sequencing research — First-of-its-kind project will sequence difficult breast cancers to provide insight into treatment strategies – Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) announced that it is collaborating with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and US Oncology to sequence the genomes of 14 patients afflicted with triple negative breast cancer whose tumors have progressed despite multiple other therapies.

Breast cancer gene responds to blood pressure drug in lab

Researchers find breast cancer gene that’s blocked by blood pressure drug. Gene overexpressed in up to 20 percent of breast cancers responds to blood pressure drug in lab, U-M researchers report. – Researchers have identified a gene that is overexpressed in up to 20 percent of breast cancers and that could be blocked in the lab by a currently available blood pressure drug, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

African American women often refuse breast cancer treatment

African-American women with advanced breast cancer often forego vital treatment – A new study finds that nearly one in four African American women with late stage breast cancer refused chemotherapy and radiation therapy, potentially life saving therapies.

Triple drug combination promising to treat breast cancer

Triple drug combination is promising option to treat metastatic HER2+ breast cancer – Combining two chemotherapy drugs with trastuzumab (Herceptin) to treat women who have metastatic HER2+ breast cancer may offer physicians another choice in their treatment options.

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