Think Pinker

Big news for women with HER2+ bresat cancer; new data gathered from clinical trials conducted in part by the Mayo clinic now show that a combination of Herceptin and chemotherapy improves the chances of survival versus giving Hercepting after chemo is complete. The study’s findings were so positive that the researchers are leaning towards this method to become the norm for treatment.

The study found that when taken in this combination women had a 25 percent better chance of survival and their chances of recurrence also greatly diminished. This would equate to as many as 10,000 women a year getting better outcomes and more than likely becoming a breast cancer survivors instead of a victims.

‘The study demonstrated that adding Herceptin clearly improves disease-free survival, with improvement if given after chemotherapy, but even more improvement if started concurrent with taxane-based chemotherapy,’ said Dr. Perez, chair, North Central Cancer Treatment Group -NCCTG- Breast Committee and a breast cancer researcher at the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, Fla. ‘So, our recommendation for practice and regulatory agencies around the world is that Herceptin be given concurrent with adjuvant chemotherapy.’

ThinkPinker.com is happy to see researchers working so hard to try to find solutions for those who are suffering from HER+ breast cancer and will continue to bring you updates as they occur. As per usual, some of the best efforts are coming straight from the Mayo Clinic.