New Breast Cancer Drug
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: August 29, 2012
A new therapy is now available for women with advanced breast cancer
The FDA recently approved the first of a new class of treatments for women with hormone-receptive cancer, after menopause. That's the most common form of breast cancer in this country.
Researchers say patients with advanced cancer, who took the drug Afinitor with the cancer medication exemestane lived an average of five months longer .
Senior Lead Study Investigator, Dr. Denise Yardley says it's an important development. "I think that even more exciting is seeing it , perhaps having a role in earlier stage disease where we may increase the patients that are actually being cured with breast cancer, " she explains.
Dr Yardley says efforts are underway to begin clinical trials of Afinitor in women with earlier stage breast cancer, but it'll be several years before the drug is regularly used in in those patients.
Afinitor is already approved to treat kidney and pancreatic cancer
The FDA recently approved the first of a new class of treatments for women with hormone-receptive cancer, after menopause. That's the most common form of breast cancer in this country.
Researchers say patients with advanced cancer, who took the drug Afinitor with the cancer medication exemestane lived an average of five months longer .
Senior Lead Study Investigator, Dr. Denise Yardley says it's an important development. "I think that even more exciting is seeing it , perhaps having a role in earlier stage disease where we may increase the patients that are actually being cured with breast cancer, " she explains.
Dr Yardley says efforts are underway to begin clinical trials of Afinitor in women with earlier stage breast cancer, but it'll be several years before the drug is regularly used in in those patients.
Afinitor is already approved to treat kidney and pancreatic cancer
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.