Facingourrisk.org recently shared a summary of a recent study which found that combining two different anti-HER2 drugs increased the effectiveness of treatment in breast cancer when compared to using just one. In the study of patients living with HER2-positive breast cancer that was metastatic or locally advanced, the two-drug approach was able to produce longer remissions, including benefits for individuals with dangerous brain metastases.
A total of 463 people living with breast cancer participated in the study. These were HER2-positive cases that could not be effectively treated with surgery. Forty-four percent of these participants had brain metastases when they enrolled. They were randomly selected to receive treatment with either Kadcyla on its own or Kadcyla plus Tukysa, both anti-HER2 therapies.
In the group that received both therapies, the median time to disease progression was two months longer (9.5) compared to the group that received only one drug (7.4). In patients with brain involvement, time to disease progression was 7.8 months in those that received both drugs versus 5.7 months in those on just Kadcyla.
The effect on overall survival has not yet been determined. In the two-drug group, side effects were more prevalent, resulting in more cessation of therapy or adjustment of dose. However, these side effects were mostly considered manageable. Some of the side effects included:
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Hand-foot syndrome
- Diarrhea
About Kadcyla
Kadcyla (also called T-DM1) targets HER2 by binding to the receptors and delivering a chemotherapy agent. It’s currently approved for HER2-positive breast cancer in both early and advanced stages.
About Tukysa
Tukysa (also called tucatinib) is an anti-HER2 therapy this is known for being able to slow brain metastases in HER2-positive breast cancer, giving it an advantage over many other therapies in its class.
Takeaways
Overall, these findings suggest a potential new treatment regimen for this form of breast cancer. Patients should ask their physician about the possibility of using the combined approach to improve outcomes.
Learn more about this study and its findings here.
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breast cancer HER2-positive breast cancer HER2+ breast cancer research treatment
Last modified: December 5, 2024
