New treatment halves the duration of a breast cancer therapy

Herceptin significantly shortens the treatment of breast cancer

There is good news for all women with aggressive breast cancer. Those affected in the future could be cured of cancer in just about half of the time. This would also reduce harmful side effects of the treatment.

Scientists at Warwick Medical School and the internationally acclaimed University of Cambridge found in their current research that treating aggressive breast cancer with Herceptin can halve the time of treatment. The physicians presented the results of their study at this year's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

In the future, the treatment time of aggressive breast cancer could be significantly reduced. (Image: Tyler Olson / fotolia.com)

Treatment time of HER2-positive breast cancer halved?

Women with aggressive breast cancer can be cured of their cancer in half the time of the current treatment, which also minimizes the harmful side effects of the therapy, experts explain. A new study in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer showed that survival rates were almost identical among those treated for six months compared to patients treated for one year.

HER2-positive breast cancer is difficult to treat

About one-fifth of breast cancer cases are characterized by an excess of HER2 protein, which has traditionally made women more difficult to treat, the researchers explain.

Unfortunately, Herceptin often has serious side effects

The drug trastuzumab, commonly known under the brand name Herceptin, has significantly improved the survival of HER2-positive patients since 2005. However, the medication can cause a number of side effects ranging from high body temperatures to heart problems. Side effects often become more severe with increasing treatment time, say the researchers.

The study was attended by 4,088 subjects

A total of 4,088 women with HER2-positive early breast cancer who were treated with Herceptin were enrolled in the study. The four-year disease-free survival rate was 89.4 percent for women who only had six months treatment. In comparison, women who received standard 12-month standard care had a survival rate of 98.8 percent.

Short treatment time resulted in fewer side effects

In addition, only four percent of women in the 6-month cohort were forced to discontinue Herceptin because of heart problems, which was half the proportion of women who had to stop taking the drug in the 12-month cohort. For many women with HER2-positive breast cancer, the findings are the first steps towards shortening treatment duration, said study author Professor Helena Earl of the University of Cambridge in a press release on the study results.

Is further research necessary?

The new analysis was the largest study to date that investigated the impact of shortening the length of treatment for Herceptin, the researchers say. However, some critics warned that the follow-up phase of the study was relatively short and that further research needed to analyze longer-term survival rates. (As)