MENU
Kenneth L Abbott, MD, FACP  |  8/9/2022

A Neu Advance in Breast Cancer Treatment

When CalvertHealth Oncology established an internet presence, the principal purpose of this effort was to enhance and extend the ability of the cancer care team to communicate with the people it serves. This blog shares that purpose. Articles I have written over the past several months have addressed many varied subjects related to cancer medicine, but so far I have not been able to impart breaking news about a major, practice-changing development. With today’s entry, that changes.

Last Friday, the fifth of August 2022, the US federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved the use of trastuzumab-deruxtecan, in the form marketed by pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo as Enhertu, in patients with advanced breast cancer whose cancer cells exhibit low-positive test scores for a substance called HER2/neu. The agency based this decision on the findings of the landmark DESTINY-Breast04 trial, which were announced at the national meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in June and published in the New England Journal of Medicine one month ago. Investigators discovered that women whose breast cancer cells had not previously been thought to exhibit enough expression of the HER2/neu marker to allow effective use of the original form of this drug, trastuzumab (Herceptin), experienced a markedly better response to this new combination drug compared to conventional chemotherapy. But what does this mean, and why are oncologists so excited about this development?

In the 1980s and 1990s, researchers in cancer genetics identified a gene called either neu (short for neuroblastoma, the tumor type from which it was first isolated) or Her-2. The protein product of this gene (called HER2/neu, in honor of the underlying gene) spans the cell membrane, making it available as a potential target for drug treatment. Furthermore, in approximately 25% of breast cancers, this protein is overexpressed on tumor cell surfaces, meaning the cell has many, many more copies on display. This characterizes an especially aggressive form of breast cancer, one with a rather grim prognosis. Pathologists score the amount of HER2/neu expression in a particular breast cancer tumor from 0 to 3+. Tumor cells with scores of 3+ and certain ones with scores of 2+ (further studied for overexpression using a type of testing called FISH) are called positive, while the others are called negative. For the past 20 years, oncologists have treated breast cancer patients with trastuzumab and related drugs only if their tumor cells test positive. These anti-HER2/neu drugs turned the prognosis of affected patients on its head—what used to be an adverse finding resulted, when subject to treatment, in markedly improved outcomes. Trastuzumab (approved over 20 years ago, marketed as Herceptin) became a paradigm-shifting drug and ushered in a new era of cancer treatment.

That has now changed. Enhertu applied to patients with advanced breast cancer whose cells test “low-positive” (1+ and 2+, not amplified on FISH) conferred a large, statistically significant benefit in standard survival outcomes above and beyond what we typically see with older-style chemotherapy drugs. Many more women and men with breast cancer will now have the advantage of anti-HER2/neu therapy. I have already gone back into the records of breast cancer patients struggling with advanced disease and the rigors of chemotherapy and found test results that will qualify them for Enhertu.

Another new age in breast cancer treatment has dawned. An old dog has learned a new trick. No one misapprehends Enhertu as the long-sought cure for advanced breast cancer. But it will carry us a long way down that road.
This record has been viewed 2976 times.

Conversation

JAMES turley
Sunday, February 2, 2025

I was really stressed by Erectile dysfunction issues and had consulted Dr Moses Buba. He gave us a thorough consultation and the medicines were equally effective. In a couple of weeks there was big improvement in me and we are very pleased with the progress. We cannot thank Dr Moses Buba enough. Highly recommended.you can reach him via Email buba.herbalmiraclemedicine@gmail.com WhatsApp +2349060529305. you can also reach on his Facebook page ; http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559577240930 / website page http://bubaherbalmiraclem.wixsite.com/website

Lucy Miller
Wednesday, January 29, 2025

I cannot identify myself as an "HIV Survivor" because I'm not surviving. I have conquered the battle of HIV/AIDS with natural alternatives. I have broken down the walls of stigma, I have fought against discrimination, I have risen above rejections and criticisms. It has been 12 years of Victory, right after under the supervision of Doctor Muna. If I can find cure, comfort and healing with Doctor Muna's natural herbal products, anyone with chronic disease or viral infections can get cure too. marvelspelltemple@gmail.com deserves to be spread all over for the general public, Whatsapp +2347035449257

Jacqueline
Saturday, January 25, 2025

My name is Jacqueline Hedges. 2025 changed my life. I never believed I would be cured by a spell caster who specializes in herbal cure and magical spells. I am talking about the help Doctor Odunga gave to me. I have been cured of herpes HPV which has plagued me for over 2 years. I am very happy to tell others that if you want to be cured or get your ex back spells and get pregnant naturally, even financial blessing through lottery, there is only one place to be and that is with Dr Odunga Spell Temple. You should contact him now to help you within 24 hours with your problem at his Email: odungaspelltemple@gmail.com and via Whats App his mobile number +2348167159012.

Olmo
Wednesday, January 8, 2025

MY TESTIMONY ON HOW COINSRECOVERYWORLDWIDE HELP ME RECOVER BACK MY LOST CRYPTO

Yesterday, I confirmed the recovery of my scammed coins.. I just want to put this out there that this is possible and not a miracle.. I was scammed of $35,000 btc and I was blocked off the account.. It was a problem for me, not being able to access my money and my account regardless of speaking to the help service COINSRECOVERYWORLDWIDE . Thanks to coinsrecoveryworldwide at gmail dot com or 📞 +1(737)368-8915(whatsapp). Today being 2nd January 2025 am a happy man for having all my funds back in my position COINSRECOVERYWORLDWIDE keep to there words and handle the situation with a good technology

©2025 COINSRECOVERYWORLDWIDE

Kathryn Hancock
Thursday, September 1, 2022

Thank you. Knowledge is key to advocating for myself.

Leave your comment

CAPTCHA Validation
CAPTCHA
Code:
" class="hidden">重庆美亚国际旅行社 " class="hidden">中国办公用品网 " class="hidden">家庭医生在线眼科频道 " class="hidden">天津订餐小秘书