Iressa in combination with Herceptin

Abstract
Despite new therapies and several treatment options metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains incurable. One reason for the low median survival rate may be intense cross-talk between growth factor receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/HER1) and the HER2 growth factor receptor. This report describes the case history of a patient with MBC whose disease had progressed despite surgery radiotherapy and four different chemotherapy regimens including trastuzumab (a monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks HER2) combined with docetaxel. However treatment with 500 mg/day gefitinib ('Iressa' ZD1839) an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor and trastuzumab (2 mg/kg/week) caused a rapid and sustained regression of breast cancer metastases in skin and lymph nodes. Thus for patients with MBC whose tumors co-express EGFR and HER2 gefitinib in combination with trastuzumab may prevent receptor cross-talk improving the outcome of MBC.

http://www.anti-cancerdrugs.com/pt/re/anticd/abstract.00001813-200403000-00007.htm;jsessionid=AqTAl2KhYHrjtQ1KZY7YcSAvNvgG6 1J6Pp9zpLncRbQoYz0y2CVJ!402826829