RobinP
03-04-2010, 07:36 AM
http://www.ucsf.edu/science-cafe/articles/her2-breast-cancer-clinical-trial-based-on-research-advance/
A drug that targets HER2, called Tykerb, now is being used to test this new dosing strategy. In the clinical trial, women with advanced breast cancer are being treated with large, intermittent dosages of the drug instead of with daily, lower-dosage treatment. The larger dosage should more effectively kill tumor cells, Moasser, says. Breaks in treatment are intended to limit side effects.
The Phase 1 clinical trial is open to women with HER2-positive breast cancers that continue to grow after prior treatment with standard therapies.
“In most solid tumors there are many signaling pathways that go wrong, and many genes that are mutated,” he says. “I think that this cancer is more simplistic, and that HER2 is the critical driver. I think we should be able to cure this cancer if we can shut down HER2, even in advanced cases.”
A drug that targets HER2, called Tykerb, now is being used to test this new dosing strategy. In the clinical trial, women with advanced breast cancer are being treated with large, intermittent dosages of the drug instead of with daily, lower-dosage treatment. The larger dosage should more effectively kill tumor cells, Moasser, says. Breaks in treatment are intended to limit side effects.
The Phase 1 clinical trial is open to women with HER2-positive breast cancers that continue to grow after prior treatment with standard therapies.
“In most solid tumors there are many signaling pathways that go wrong, and many genes that are mutated,” he says. “I think that this cancer is more simplistic, and that HER2 is the critical driver. I think we should be able to cure this cancer if we can shut down HER2, even in advanced cases.”