Studies: Combining Chemotherapy Meds Shrinks Breast Cancer - East Idaho News

Studies: Combining Chemotherapy Meds Shrinks Breast Cancer

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Getty 091211 BreastCancer?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1326805770325Comstock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — Combining heavy hitting medications for early stage patients with an aggressive form of breast cancer can shrink the tumor and stop its progression, according to two new studies released Monday in the journal Lancet and Lancet Oncology.

An estimated 20 percent of women with breast cancer have a type known as HER2 positive, which is among the fastest growing and most aggressive.

Therapy agents such as Tykerb or Herceptin are typically used for later stages of the disease when the tumor is considered inoperable.  These treatments have been shown to downsize the tumor enough to perform surgery.

The trials, in its third phases, found that even patients in the early stages of the disease — who are considered operable — can benefit from these types of medications before undergoing surgery.

The first study, published in The Lancet Oncology, suggests the chemotherapy medication Tykerb is less effective taken on its own compared to Herceptin.

In the other study, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston assigned patients in three groups with HER2 positive breast cancer with either the chemotherapy medication Tykerb, Herceptin, or a combination of both medications before undergoing surgery.

The tumors in those who received the combination treatment before surgery were on average 20 percent smaller after six weeks compared to patients who took either of the medications alone, according to the study, which was first presented at the 2010 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.  There were far fewer side effects and they were less severe compared to standard chemotherapy.

These studies add to mounting research looking at tackling aggressive tumors early in the process.

“These studies represent a paradigm shift in breast cancer research where you’re studying these therapies up front,” said Dr. Jose Baselga, chief of oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and lead author of the study published in the Lancet. “This will cut down the time significantly of bringing these therapies to the public.”

Many experts said that studying these medications given in earlier stages will help researchers see how tumors are responding to various treatments before and after surgery.

But even though these therapies have been shown to shrink a tumor, no evidence suggests they can improve survival in patients with the disease.

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