Herceptin (trastuzumab)

Description

What is Herceptin?

Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) can be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that is either early-stage or advanced-stage/metastatic.

Herceptin is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

• to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer to stop the cancer from growing
• to treat earlier stages of HER2-positive breast cancer, either as part of a regimen with chemotherapy or alone after a chemotherapy regimen that includes an anthracycline, to reduce the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence)
• in combination with Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab) and Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel) before surgery to treat HER2-positive, early-stage (the cancer must be larger than 2 cm or cancer must be in the lymph nodes), inflammatory, or locally advanced-stage breast cancer with a high risk of metastasizing or becoming fatal
• in combination with Perjeta and chemotherapy after surgery to treat HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence

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