New monoclonal antibody therapies offer significant survival advantage for breast cance...( on alone.Patients receiving Hercepti...)

on alone. Patients receiving Herceptin therapy for 1 year also showed significant improvements in other survival measures including RFS and DDFS. OS was also better in the Herceptin group versus observation, although the difference was not significant. In terms of safety, Herceptin-treated women experienced a higher incidence of cardiac side effects, which occurred in 0.5% of patients. In contrast, no observational patient experienced an adverse cardiac event.

These positive results are further supported by preliminary survival data from the 2-year Herceptin arm which also demonstrate a highly significant improvement in DFS compared with observation (p<0.0001). This important trial is continuing, gathering further data to assess and compare 2 years versus 1 year of Herceptin treatment, as well as carefully monitoring potential late-stage effects.

Professor Michael Untch, the study's Principle Investigator, from the Frauenklinik der LMU Mnchen Klinikum Grosshadern, Germany remarked: "These notable early findings show that Herceptin can provide significant improvements in survival for women with early HER-2 positive breast cancer who have completed initial chemotherapy cycles. By reducing the incidence of recurrences and metastasis by 50 % it means that patients have a significant gain in their chance to survive and a tremendous increase of their life quality. "

Another new monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab has recently completed Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and acts to inhibit tumour angiogenesis (process of diverting nutrients to the tumour).

The randomised Phase III trial was coordinated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group to compare the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel with or without bevacizumab as first line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast can
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Contact: Kirsten Mason
kirsten.mason@toniclc.com
44-077-969-55353
Federation of European Cancer Societies
31-Oct-2005

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