[Possibilities and results with Herceptin-Taxol combination in the treatment of breast cancer].
Taxol (paclitaxel) and Herceptin (trastuzumab) are two milestones in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Accordingly it was feasible to study the combination of these two highly active drugs (with different toxicity profiles and mechanisms of action) in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In multicentric phase III trial performed in the US the combination of Herceptin with either taxane or anthracyclin was investigated. It was established that the combination of Herceptin with Taxol treatment significantly improves the overall response rate, increases the time to progression and the overall survival. These effects are more pronounced in patients characterized with HER/2 +++ overexpression. Based on these evidences the Herceptin-Taxol combined treatment protocol was introduced in Hungary for the treatment of Stage IV breast cancer patients.
Láng
István
I
Kemoterápia B Belgyógyászati Onkológiai Osztály, Országos Onkológiai Intézet, Budapest, 1122, Hungary.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D015854:Up-Regulation
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004338:Drug Combinations; D017239:Paclitaxel; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab