Breast Cancer Drug Combo Extends Lives

Posted on December 15, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Women's Health

A combination of two drugs significantly extended the lives of women with advanced breast cancer, health officials reported Friday. Herceptin and Tykerb targeted tumors more precisely in a study of 300 patients.

Women taking both drugs lived nearly five months longer than those given Tykerb alone. The drugs act as a double brake on tumors, blocking a protein called HER-2 found in about one-fourth of breast cancer cases. According to doctors, the new therapy may be even more useful for women with less advanced disease.

Two other recent studies found no survival advantage from Avastin, a drug that works by obstructing the tumor’s blood supply. The Food and Drug Administration approved its use in women whose cancer had spread beyond the breast, although some advisers wanted more evidence of its benefit.