On February 22, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) as a new therapy for patients with HER2-positive, late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer. To gain insight into the new treatment, I interviewed an oncologist familiar with Kadcyla and a patient who got a jump start on the new treatment by enrolling in a clinical trial. Oncologist Dr. Robert Hermann was involved in the Kadcyla clinical trials and is very enthusiastic about the medication and notes that patients taking it are experiencing shrinkage of their tumors and increased survival. Cancer patient Ann Wertz was stricken with breast cancer, which subsequently metastasized. Instead of throwing in the towel when her condition worsened, she got on the Internet, educated herself about her disease, and enrolled in a Kadcyla clinical trial.
Dr. Hermann explained that HER2-positive breast cancer is a cancer that tests positive for a protein known as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. Due to a genetic mutation that is present in about one of every five breast cancers, the cancer cells make an excess of HER2. This mutation and the elevated levels of HER2 that it causes can occur in many types of cancer, not just breast cancer. This is a mutation that occurs only in the cancer cells and is not a type of mutation that a woman can inherit from a parent. HER2-positive breast cancers tend to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. In addition, they are also less responsive to hormone treatment. The medicine is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), a new kind of targeted cancer treatment that can attach to certain types of cancer cells and deliver chemotherapy directly to them. It is the first FDA-approved ADC for treating HER2-positive breast cancer, and is particularly exciting because ADC technology is involved in the development of additional therapies that may help to fight other cancers in the future.
When the FDA approved Kadcyla, it required that the medication have a Boxed Warning alerting patients and healthcare professionals that the drug can cause liver toxicity, heart toxicity, and death. In addition, the drug can cause severe life-threatening birth defects; thus, it should not be taken by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. I asked Dr. Hermann about the risk of the aforementioned adverse effects. He assured me that, fortunately, those serious untoward events are very rare, particularly if the patients laboratory studies are closely monitored while taking Kadcyla.
In May 2005, at age 36, Ann Wertz received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. In general, a breast cancer diagnosis at such a young age carries a much worse prognosis than one made in an older woman past the menopause. However, Ann is currently in good health. She is not cured, but she is surviving. Anns disease followed a rapidly-worsening course as is commonly found in patients like her. Two years later, metastases were discovered; the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, bones, and liver. She was placed on several different chemotherapy regimens; however, some of them were not tolerated. Despite the chemotherapy, her condition worsened and in 2011, Ann was told the cancer had spread again, and she did not have long to live.
Ann took an aggressive stance against her aggressive disease and turned to the Internet for information. Her search led her to an article written by a man who was advocating for his cancer-stricken wife. She learned of the Tdmi clinical trial being conducted by Genentech that was testing the effectiveness of Tdmi (now Kadcyla). Since then, Ann is enjoying gth her husband and two children, so she started receiving an investigational medicine through a clinical trial. Since then, her cancer has been kept at bay for nearly two years. Ann resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two children. She recommends that breast cancer victims access this link for more information.
Our Feel-Good War on Breast Cancer - NYTimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/our-feel-good-war-on-breast...Apr 25, 2013 The battle to raise awareness has been won. So why arent more lives being saved?
Breast Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Survival
breastcancer.about.comWelcome to breast cancer information! Here is information for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, family members or supportive friends. Learn how to lower your ...
Advanced Breast Cancer Support Community - Inspire
www.inspire.com/groups/advanced-breast-cancerAbout this community. The Advanced Breast Cancer Support Community connects patients, families, friends and caregivers for support and inspiration.
CureToday.com: Blogs - Susan McClure - Finally, good news for ...
www.curetoday.com/.../2009/6/9/Finally-good...breast-cancer-patientsCATEGORIES [ DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT] Finally, good news for triple negative breast cancer patients! BY SUSAN MCCLURE JUNE 9, 2009
What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like? Chronicles of a Cancer Patient
www.chroniclesofacancerpatient.com/what-does-chemotherapy-feel-likeWhat Does Chemo Do To You? Ok, this one might be a little too much information for you. But if theres somebody out there that will be going through all this, you ...
CTCA Cancer Treatment Centers & Hospitals Integrative Cancer
www.cancercenter.comEmployment Cancer Hospitals Insurance Cancer TypesFor nearly 30 years, Cancer Treatment Centers of America has been helping patients win the fight against advanced and complex cancers. Find out where our cancer ...
UCLA researchers discover why breast cancer patients have
www.examiner.com/...why-breast-cancer-patients-have-memory-problemsApr 18, 2013 Not uncommonly, women who undergo radiation and/or chemotherapy memory and thinking (cognitive) problems. The condition is often referred to as chemo ...
Angelina Jolie's Selfless Act Heightens Breast Cancer Awareness ...
www.fool.com/.../angelina-jolie-heightens-breast-cancer-awareness.aspxThe Motley Fool - Jolie's personal experiences brings the dangers of breast cancer into new light and also gives hope to current and future breast cancer sufferers ...
LBBC's Blog Empowering all women affected by breast cancer
livingbeyondbc.wordpress.comEmpowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.
Proactive breast cancer patient doing well on Kadcyla - Los ...
www.examiner.com/article/proactive-breast-cancer-patient-doing...Apr 16, 2013 On February 22, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) as a new therapy for patients ...
Get Involved American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org/involved/indexMake a difference in the fight against cancer. Donate to American Cancer Society. Find opportunities to volunteer and participate in local events.
Cancer Resources OncoLink - The Web's First Cancer Resource
oncolink.org/index.cfmOncoLink, the Web's first cancer resource,provides comprehensive information on coping with cancer, cancer treatments, cancer research advances, continuing medical ...
Dense Breast Tissue: You NEED To Know! My sincere
hendaslaw.comMy sincere conversation with myself about breast cancer & my life journey . . . Thanks for reading! Favorite quote:"To dream anything you want to dream. That's the ...
Entertainment News, Celebrity and Pop Culture - ABC News
abcnews.go.com/entertainmentHeadlines from the network and other sources, as well as downloads of trailers and clips.
Major trends in cancer drug development Notes from TAT 2013 ...
www.orf-blog.com/major-trends-in-cancer-drug-development-notes...Earlier this month, I attended the TAT (Targeted anticancer therapies) congress in Paris. This conference focuses exclusively on targeted therapies for cancer, one of ...
womenshealth.gov
womenshealth.govProject of the US Department of Health and Human Services offers helpline for women's health problems. Includes news, health calendar, statistics, and related resources.
Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ) - National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition/Health...Expert-reviewed information summary about the causes and management of nutritional problems that occur in patients with cancer.
American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer
www.cancer.org Find Cancer Early Cancer Screening GuidelinesCancer screening increases the chances of detecting certain cancers early. Learn what screening tests the American Cancer Society recommends...
HealthCentral.com - Trusted, Reliable and Up To Date Health ...
www.healthcentral.comHealthCentral.com is one of the most trusted sources of medical information and up to date news and contains a doctor-approved health encyclopedia of diseases and ...
Health - How To Information eHow
www.ehow.com/healthTake your career to new heights. Our expert advice will help you land a job, navigate complicated work situations, get a raise or promotion or jumpstart a new career.
Topic Galleries -- CTnow - CTnow.com - Connecticut News ...
www.ctnow.com/topicTopic galleries provide easy access to stories and photos about people, places, organizations, events and subjects of interest to you. They bring together rich ...
Baking Soda Cancer Studies and pH Medicine Dr. Sircus
drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bicarbonate-baking-soda/cancer...(The Last Laugh) University of Arizona Cancer Center member Dr. Mark Pagel will receive a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Hea
Health How Tos & Tips eHow
www.ehow.com/ehow-healtheHow Health: Staying healthy is more than getting health insurance. Get trusted advice, health news and how to info on weight loss, pregnancy, organic foods, cancer ...
Annals of Internal Medicine Screening for Breast Cancer: U.S ...
annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=745237* For a list of the members of the USPSTF, see the Appendix. From the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville ...
0 comments:
Post a Comment