The Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) has announced the success of clinical trials of a new combined therapy against one type of metastatic breast cancer. Tumor progression-free survival increased by approximately 100% with the use of therapy. The use of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan has already been approved for some expressions of this tumor, but the number of patients who may now choose this treatment could increase significantly.

What was achieved?
The study was able to significantly increase the survival of the treated patients. Specifically, progression-free survival increased from an average of 5.1 months in patients receiving chemotherapy to a median of 10 months in patients receiving combination therapy. Median survival increased from 17 to 23.4 months.

Cancer in the spotlight: low HER-2,
The study analyzes the effect of this therapy in metastatic breast cancers with low HER-2 expression. HER-2 is a protein found outside of some tumor cells. Depending on the presence of this molecule, tumors are usually classified as HER-2 positive or negative.

However, a significant proportion of those considered negative show low expression of this protein, termed HER-2, which can account for more than 35% of metastatic breast cancers.

This classification is important because it helps oncologists decide on the best treatment to fight the disease based on their characteristics.

New treatment for thousands of patients.
We know from this study that one of the treatments used against HER-2 positive cancers could help more patients. Study co-author Aleix Prat said in a press release published by VHIO, “So far, patients with HER2-negative tumors have not benefited from treatments against HER2 (…). Now this new immunoconjugate combining 7-8 molecules of a very potent chemotherapy with the trastuzumab antibody. Thanks to the drug, the life expectancy of patients is prolonged.”

immunoconjugate drug.
Treatment is actually a combination of drugs. Trastuzumab Deruxtecan refers to two components of therapy. The first is a monoclonal antibody and the second is a chemotherapy. Trastuzumab belongs to the family of targeted therapies, a type of precision medicine that manages to target tumor cells without attacking the rest.

The last steps of a drug’s path.
The clinical trial presented in the New England Journal of Medicine corresponds to phase 3 of the development of this treatment. The study included 557 patients with advanced cases. This phase 3 is the final phase of clinical trials, but that doesn’t mean the treatment will be available immediately.

Miguel Gil, co-author of the study, explains that the study yielded results “with very clinically relevant and very manageable side effects,” and they say it “will not take long to be incorporated into the public system.” After approval by the European Medicines Agency [EMA] and the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Products”. Its use in HER-2 positive patients has already been approved by the EMA and its US counterpart.

Cristina Saura explains that while the phase of clinical trials for this particular application of the treatment has ended, her practice continues to expand its use in other situations, such as in patients who are in earlier stages of the disease’s development. -Author of the study. The therapy is also being tested in patients with the same characteristics who were not initially included in the study.

In recent weeks, we’ve discovered new advances in the fight against cancer, including another study focused on the combination of chemotherapy and other strategies, also promising, but in less advanced stages of clinical trials. These days the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology is held in Chicago, Illinois and online; this allows experts to share the latest developments and capture the work of researchers from all over the world. world. world.

Image | National Cancer Institute