ather, it is an error acquired during the lives of some people. Researchers estimate that 20 to 30 percent of women with breast cancer have extra HER-2/neu genes in their tumors, amounting to as many as 60-thousand cases a year in the United States. UCLA researchers say women with cancers that "overexpress" HER-2/neu are more likely to suffer relapses after treatment and do not survive as long as women with normal amounts of the gene. Researchers then set out to find a way to block the HER-2/neu receptors, and thus dampen the signals telling the tumor cells to keep growing. They developed a molecule called a monoclonal antibody that is in essence a mirror image of the HER-2/neu receptor. Researchers think that when the antibody,Herceptin, attaches to the receptor, like a key fitting a lock, it prevents growth factor molecules from attaching. If Herceptin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it will be the first treatment that specifically targets this aggressive form of breast cancer that is associated with more rapid cancer progression and shortened survival. It is the first therapy that was developed to target a specific protein defect that contributes to the malignant progression of cancer. Herceptin was generally well tolerated among patients in both trials. Overall, the most common adverse reactions related to Herceptin were chills and fever in 40 percent of patients, primarily with the first infusion. Side effects that occur often in women receiving chemotherapy, including hair loss, mouth sores, and low blood cell count levels, were not seen commonly among women taking Herceptin alone. An increased risk of heart dysfunction occurred in women receiving Herceptin (Holtz). In conclusion, there are many new treatments that have been proven to help reduce the harmful effects of breast cancer. Some of these include taxol, tamoxifen, and Herceptin. When taken with chemotherapy, these new treatments have been proven to ...
