For women with HER2-positive breast cancer that worsens in spite of treatment with Herceptin® (trastuzumab), treatment with a combination of Herceptin and Afinitor® (everolimus) may provide a benefit. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Approximately 20-25% of breast cancers overexpress (make too much of) the HER2 protein. HER2-targeted therapies such as Herceptin have dramatically improved outcomes for women with HER2-positive breast cancer, but researchers continue to explore new approaches to treatment. One important focus of research is the treatment of cancer that has progressed after prior HER2-targeted therapy.
Afinitor is an oral medication that works by inhibiting a protein known as mTOR. The mTOR protein plays an important role in regulating cancer cell division and blood vessel growth. Currently, Afinitor is used for the treatment of selected patients with kidney cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA).
To evaluate the combination of Herceptin and Afinitor, researchers combined information from two clinical trials that were conducted concurrently. Information was available for 47 women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that had progressed during treatment with Herceptin. Study participants received Herceptin every three weeks in combination with daily Afinitor.
Seven patients (15%) had a partial response to treatment (a reduction in detectable cancer).
An additional nine patients (19%) experienced stable disease for six months or longer.
Median duration of survival without cancer progression was 4.1 months.
Side effects included fatigue, infection, and mouth sores (mucositis).
These results suggest that the combination of Afinitor and Herceptin may benefit women with HER2-positive, advanced breast cancer that has worsened in spite of Herceptin treatment. Afinitor has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for other purposes, but has not yet been approved for breast cancer. Additional, ongoing studies are evaluating the combination of Herceptin, Afinitor, and chemotherapy in the first- and second-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
Reference: Khanh Morrow P, Wulf GM, Ensor J et al. Phase I/II study of trastuzumab in combination with everolimus (RAD001) in patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer who progressed on trastuzumab-based therapy. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Early online publication July 5, 2011. news.cancerconnect.com
Lung cancer is classified by the type of cell that produces the tumor. 90% of them are small cell or small cell. The remaining 10% is composed of very rare types such as mixed carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumors.
On the other hand, the lung is a very frequent metastasis. But these are not true tumors, lung cancers, but plantings of other organs such as the breast or intestine.
Lung cancer, small cell (cell)
Named for the size of the cells seen a microscope. It almost invariably associated with cigarette smoking and an estimated 20% of all cancers are small cell. They multiply rapidly and can form large tumors, in addition to their ability to spread to other organs is increased. The SCLC is almost always a very aggressive tumor.
Metastases usually affect the following organs: lymph nodes, bone, brain, adrenal glands and liver. The primary tumor usually originates near the bronchi and spreads toward the center of the lungs.
Lung Cancer Non-small cell
This cancer accounts for almost 80% of all lung cancers. It spreads more slowly than small cell and occasionally can occur in people who do not smoke.
There are some varieties of cancer non-small cell lung cancer. The two most common are squamous cell carcinoma or squamous cell and adenocarcinoma. The first is the most common, such as small, often born of the deep lung, in the center of the chest. Adenocarcinoma is more rare and usually the kind of lung tumor faced by nonsmokers. Tends to be born of the most peripheral lung near the chest wall. tocancer.com
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the targeted drug Sutent® (sunitinib) for the treatment pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET).
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are an uncommon type of cancer that develops in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas.
Sutent—which is taken orally—inhibits multiple biologic pathways involved in the growth, replication, and spread of cancer cells. It has news.cancerconnect.com
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Afinitor® (everolimus) for the treatment of advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET).
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a relatively uncommon type of cancer that develops in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas.
Afinitor is an oral targeted therapy that works by inhibiting a protein known as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The mTOR protein plays an important role in regulating cancer cell division and blood vessel growth. Afinitor is also used in the treatment of selected patients with kidney cancer or subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA).
A study that contributed to the approval of Afinitor for PNET involved 410 patients with advanced, low-grade or intermediate-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Half the patients were treated with Afinitor and half were treated with a placebo.
Progression-free survival was 11 months among patients treated with Afinitor and 4.6 months among patients treated with placebo.
The most common side effects of Afinitor were stomatitis (inflammation of the lining of the mouth), rash, diarrhea, fatigue, swelling, abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and headache.
Deaths occurred in seven patients in the Afinitor group and one patient in the placebo group.
Afinitor was approved for the treatment of progressive (worsening) PNET in patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease that cannot be surgically removed. The safety and effectiveness of Afinitor for patients with carcinoid tumors has not been established.
Source: Everolimus 2011. US Food and Drug Administration website. May 5, 2011. news.cancerconnect.com
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Afinitor® (everolimus) for the treatment of advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET).
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a relatively uncommon type of cancer that develops in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas.
Afinitor is an oral targeted therapy that works by inhibiting a protein known as the mammalian target of rapamycin news.cancerconnect.com
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