Herceptin
as a single agent for metastatic disease
Interview
with Neil Love, MD from Breast Cancer Update for Medical Oncologists,
Program 3 2000
Play
Audio Below:
Chuck
Vogel has also shown us convincingly that Herceptin as a single
agent as first-line therapy may be a reasonable option for some
patients. Now, who are those patients? Why should some patients
get Herceptin alone as opposed to, as for example, Taxol-Herceptin
as first-line therapy? Well, perhaps those patients who should get
Herceptin alone may have already received Taxol in the adjuvant
setting. Perhaps those patients who should get Herceptin alone as
first-line therapy are those patients who have less threatening
disease, who are relatively asymptomatic, who have soft tissue disease
whereas those patients who have visceral disease and who have more
symptomatic disease should get Taxol and Herceptin. I think there
is room for judgement right now in the absence of clear data on
that issue. The future obviously is still years away, but the accrual
of patients to the Intergroup and NSABP trials evaluating the potential
contribution of Herceptin as adjuvant therapy is crucial. We have
enough reasons not to give Herceptin off of a clinical trial in
the adjuvant setting and we should hopefully drive the accrual so
we can get these important trials done quickly.
