Herceptin is prescribed to women with HER2-positive breast cancer in stages II, III and IV of the disease. It is injected into the bloodstream once every one to three weeks. In 2006, the FDA expanded the approved used of Herceptin to include both treatment of metastatic breast cancer and women with cancer in the breast and regional lymph nodes.
Herceptin is a targeted therapy and an immune treatment for breast cancer. This means that it targets the HER2 protein, which is created in excess when women have breast cancer. This protein affects the growth of cancerous cells. Herceptin is an immune treatment because it is designed like an immune system antibody that blocks the HER2 proteins from getting to cells.
Breast cancer shows up in more than 200,000 new cases each year, and results in more than 40,000 deaths per year. HER2-positive breast cancer affects 20 to 30 percent of all breast cancer patients. This type of breast cancer may not be as responsive to standard treatments like chemotherapy. Therefore, drugs like Herceptin were developed to fight the HER2 protein.
Breast cancer can be caused by a number of different factors, including:
- age (as women get older, they are more at risk for developing breast cancer)
- gender (women are more likely than men to develop breast cancer)
- family history (especially if a family member has had breast, uterine, ovarian or colon cancer)
- genes
- menstrual cycle (women who get their periods early and go through menopause late are more at risk)
- alcohol abuse
- smoking
- obesity
- chemical drug use
You can catch breast cancer in the early stages by getting regular mammograms and doing monthly self-exams. Ask your doctor how to do a self-exam.
What are some important things I should know about Herceptin?
In 2006, the FDA expanded the approved use of Herceptin for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer to also include treatment for women with cancer in the breast and regional lymph nodes.
Herceptin is specifically designed to treat women with HER2-positive breast cancer. It is prescribed to women in the II, III and IV stages of the disease.
Herceptin can cause many side effects, particularly congestive heart disease. For most people, this heart damage might be reversible once you stop using Herceptin. For others, the heart damage could be life threatening. Make sure to talk to your doctor about the risks. Herceptin does not cause the same side effects as other breast cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy (like nausea, vomiting, hair loss, etc.), because it is not destroying cells. It does cause:
- chills
- fever
- shortness of breath
- lung problems
Before you take Herceptin, you should tell your doctor about any heart problems you have, and you must be screened for heart function. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- rapid weight gain
- flu-like symptoms
- wheezing
- sores inside your mouth or lips
- nausea
- sweating or chills
This indicates a serious problem that could be life threatening.
