Local researchers lead tests of new breast cancer treatment

Research led by Shanghai Cancer Center, with participation from 23 medical organizations from home and abroad, confirmed that two targeted medicines can achieve better treatment results for certain breast cancer patients.

Specifically, the new combined therapy can double the treatment benefits for breast cancer patients positive for the HER2 gene, which causes an increased rate of relapse and cancerous transfer. News of the discovery was published by the journal JAMA Oncology.

“About 20 percent of breast cancer patients are positive for the HER2 gene,” said Dr Shao Jimin from Shanghai Cancer Center and the leading expert on the research. “There is over 40 percent chance that a patient positive for HER2 will have a relapse or cancerous transfer within 10 years following surgery and traditional chemotherapy. Targeted medicines are able to drop the rate below 27 percent.”

Routine therapy currently uses one targeted medicine for HER2, while experts started to study the possibility of combing different targeted medicines and supportive drugs to achieve better effects.

“Some Western experts have started to study two targeted medicines to enhance the effects for cancer control, however, such research is all conducted on Western patients,” Shao said. “There is no similar research on Asian patients, whose conditions and features are different from Western breast cancer patients.”

Shao teamed up with 23 medical facilities across the region for therapies suited to Asian patients.

A total of 329 breast cancer patients positive for HER2 were included into the research with combined use of Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab, two targeted medicines.

About 39.3 percent of patients with two targeted medicines showed very good results, while the percentage is only 21.8 for those using one targeted medicine.

“It is the first research on the use of two targeted medicines for Asian patients. The effects are much better, while safety is the same as using one targeted medicine,” Shao added.

“Based on the research, we will carry out more therapies with two targeted medicines, and even three targeted medicines, for patients with HER2 positive in the future and help more patients to have their cancer treated and cured,” he said.