The drug targets the HER-2 receptor positive type of breast cancer, where HER-2 receptors are overexpressed, the drug attempts to reduce the number of overexpressions. Of all breast cancer patients, 25% have HER-2 positive breast cancer.
The researchers found that more deaths occurred in the non-intervention group than in the drug group, which corresponds to a survival benefit of 2.7% after three years.
“The survival benefit that has emerged over such a short period emphasizes the potential of this approach and underlines the importance of developing further specific targeted therapies in breast and other cancers,” said lead researcher Dr Ian Smith, from the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
However the significance of the study could be undermined by the fact that patients in the monitoring group were allowed to switch to Herceptin after one year, authors said in an accompanying editorial.