Is good news on the way for women and families affected by breast cancer? We sincerely hope so! According to reports today, hundreds of women with an aggressive form of the illness are expected to have their survival rates boost through a new clinical drug trial.
The Irish Daily Mail reports that this new drug is now being made available to suitable patients at special centres for breast cancer care, and leading cancer experts are optimistic that this ground-breaking treatment will become the standard once the trials are proved successful.
The trial, which is being called ‘Aphinity’ and uses the new drug pertuzumab, is targeted at women who are suffering from HER2 breast cancer – one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. To put this into perspective, around 400 women of the 2,800 that are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland every year, register as HER2 positive.
Women who are suitable to try this new trial drug will be given it after their breast cancer surgery and chemotherapy.
Experts believe that the new trial could boost cancer survival rates majorly.
Cancer experts are very enthusiastic that this new drug will help to majorly boost the survival rates of hundreds of women.
“This is how Herceptin [the current drug used to treat breast cancer] was developed. Five years ago very similar studies were being done with Herceptin. The study results showed the women who got Herceptin and chemo did substantially better in terms of cure rates,” said Dr Bryan Hennessy, a leading oncologist.
“Then Herceptin having been proven is now standard treatment. We are hoping that the same will happen with pertuzumab,” he added.
Dr Hennessy, who is the vice president of the All-Ireland Co-operative Oncology Research Group, said that it was a privilege to be able to run these new cutting-edge trials.
If you, or anyone you know, is currently suffering from breast cancer or you would like to learn more about the illness, please visit Breast Cancer Ireland by clicking here.
