Trastuzumab: A Breast Cancer Treatment

 What is trastuzumab?

Trastuzumab belongs to targeted (biological) therapy, which blocks the growth and spread of cancer. They target as well as interfere with processes in the cells that are believed to help cancer grow. Patients may have a brand of trastuzumab injection named Herceptin, or may have a biosimilar. 

Mechanism of Action?

Some breast cancer cells contain a higher than normal level of HER2 protein on their surface, which is involved in stimulating them in order to grow. 

Around 1 in 5 invasive breast cancers have this and are known as HER2 +Ve. 

Trastuzumab acts in order to attach itself to HER2 proteins so that the cancerous cells are no longer stimulated to grow. It also benefits the immune system to destroy breast cancer cells.

Who might be offered trastuzumab?

Only individuals with HER2 +Ve breast cancer will benefit from trastuzumab. In case your cancer is HER2 -Ve, then this medication will not be of any sort of benefit. 

There are multiple tests in order to measure the level of HER2, performed on breast tissue eliminated during a biopsy/surgery. 

The HER2 testing is basically only performed on invasive breast cancer, so it’s unlikely to be mentioned in case you've an early form of breast cancer named ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Trastuzumab 440 mg injection may not be useful for individuals with heart complications or hypertension that’s not well controlled. In case your breast cancer is HER2 +Ve and you have heart complications, your doctor will usually perform additional tests in order to check how effectively your heart is functioning.

When is trastuzumab given:

The trastuzumab injection can be used as a treatment of certain conditions, listed as follows:

• Primary breast cancer
• Breast cancer recurrence
• Secondary breast cancer

How is trastuzumab given:

Trastuzumab 440 mg comes in order to be administered as a drip into a vein (intravenous infusion) in your arm/hand. 

This medication can also be administered as an injection into the fatty tissue under the skin (subcutaneous injection) in your thigh. 

Trastuzumab is most commonly administered once every three weeks. Some individuals have it weekly. You will usually take your breast cancer treatment as an outpatient at the hospital, although a few individuals are able to take their treatment at home.

How long will I have trastuzumab for:

In case you’re having trastuzumab in order to treat primary breast cancer following surgery it’s usually administered for 1-year (around 18 cycles). 

In case you’re having trastuzumab prior to the surgery you’ll usually have four to six cycles.

In case you’re having trastuzumab in order to treat secondary breast cancer it’s basically administered for as long as it manages to control your cancer.

Possible side effects of trastuzumab:

Like other treatments, trastuzumab may also cause side effects. These side effects may be managed and those listed here will not be responsible for affecting everyone.

In case you’re concerned about any of the side effects, regardless of whether they‘re listed here, discuss with your doctor promptly.

Common side effects are as:

• Fever
• Chills
• Mild pain
• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Soreness at the injection site

Less common adverse reactions: Following the first treatment you may have other adverse reactions including: 

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Joint and muscle pain
• Rash
• Vomiting (being sick) 
• Breathlessness 

These adverse reactions are often mild and don’t usually carry on with future treatments.

Price of Trastuzumab: The trastuzumab price in india may vary from generic to branded drugs. Price for a bottle of 50mL infusion of brand of trastuzumab named Herceptin is around 110700 INR. 

How much does trastuzumab cost?: In order to know please read- Trastuzumab 440 mg price

NOTE: The piece of information provided about "Trastuzumab: A Breast Cancer Treatment" in this article is just for informational purposes and is not served as a substitute for the medical treatment, consultation, diagnosis of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

FAQ's

What are the other approved drugs for breast cancer? 

Apart from Trastuzumab, there are several other approved and widely used drugs for breast cancer. The breast cancer drugs list is as follows:

• Afinitor (Everolimus)
• Aredia (Pamidronate Disodium)
• Arimidex (Anastrozole)
• Aromasin (Exemestane)
• Ellence (Epirubicin Hydrochloride)
• 5-FU (Fluorouracil Injection)
• Fareston (Toremifene)
• Faslodex (Fulvestrant)
• Femara (Letrozole)
• Gemzar (Gemcitabine Hydrochloride)
• Halaven (Eribulin Mesylate)
• Ibrance (Palbociclib 125mg) 
• Infugem (Gemcitabine Hydrochloride)
• Ixempra (Ixabepilone)
• Kadcyla (Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine)
• Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
• Kisqali (Ribociclib)
• Lynparza (Olaparib)
• Margenza (Margetuximab-cmkb)
• Nerlynx (Neratinib Maleate)
• Perjeta (Pertuzumab)
• Phesgo (Pertuzumab, Trastuzumab, and Hyaluronidase-zzxf)
• Piqray (Alpelisib)
• Soltamox (Tamoxifen Citrate)
• Talzenna (Talazoparib Tosylate)
• Taxotere (Docetaxel)
• Tecentriq (Atezolizumab)
• Tepadina (Thiotepa 15mg) 
• Trexall (Methotrexate Sodium)
• Tykerb (Lapatinib Ditosylate)
• Verzenio (Abemaciclib)
• Xeloda (Capecitabine)
• Zoladex (Goserelin Acetate)

Is trastuzumab effective for breast cancer?

Trastuzumab following chemo is effective in HER2 +Ve Breast Cancer. The trastuzumab treatment for one year after the standard chemo improved disease-free survival in women with HER2 +Ve early breast cancer. 

What are the risk factors of breast cancer? 

Certain breast cancer risk factors are listed as follows:

• Being female
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise, alcohol
• Hormone replacement therapy during menopause
• Ionizing radiation
• Early age at first menstruation
• Having babies later in the phase of life or not at all. 
• Older age
• Prior breast cancer
• Family history of breast cancer
• Klinefelter syndrome

What is usually the first sign of breast cancer?

• Painless lumps in the breast.
• Thickening of the breast. 
• Nipple or breast skin change, such as redness, dimpling, or puckering.
• Discharge of fluid from the nipples. 

Is Stage 3 breast cancer curable?

With the help of aggressive treatment, Stage III breast cancer is curable; although, the risk that the breast cancer will grow back following treatment is high.

What is the last stage of breast cancer?

The stage-4 breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer, is the most advanced breast cancer stage. By this stage, breast cancer is harder to cure because it has reached beyond the breast and can be responsible for affecting vital organs (lungs or brain).