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Herceptin Breast Cancer Metastatic Treatment

Getting Herceptin therapy

Herceptin (trastuzumab) is usually given at your doctor's office or clinic. You take Herceptin through an intravenous (IV) infusion, which means that the drug comes through a needle that your nurse inserts into a vein. Herceptin can also be given through a central line or a port, which are two different devices placed under the skin to make it easier to receive medications that are given through an infusion. Talk to your doctor about which option is best for you.

The first infusion usually takes about 90 minutes for patients recieving Herceptin for metastatic breast cancer, but it may be slowed or stopped if you experience discomfort from side effects. As long as the prior infusion was well tolerated, later infusions should last about 30 minutes.

Herceptin can be given with other cancer treatments.

Remember, Herceptin is not chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. The potential benefits of Herceptin are in addition to the potential benefits you may receive from surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or radiation therapy. Herceptin is not a substitute for any of these therapies. Talk to your doctor about what therapies are right for you.

Who is Herceptin for?

Herceptin in combination with paclitaxel is approved for the first-line treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin as a single agent is approved for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer in patients who have received one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease.

What important safety information should I know about Herceptin?

Herceptin treatment can result in heart problems, including those without symptoms (reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (congestive heart failure). The risk and seriousness of these heart problems were highest in people who received both Herceptin and a certain type of chemotherapy (anthracycline). Your doctor will stop or strongly consider stopping Herceptin if you have a significant drop in your heart function.

You should be monitored for decreased heart function before your first dose of Herceptin, and frequently during the time you are receiving Herceptin and after your last dose of Herceptin. If you must permanently or temporarily stop Herceptin due to heart problems, you should be monitored more frequently. In one study with Herceptin and certain types of chemotherapy, an inadequate blood supply to the heart occurred.

Some patients have had serious infusion reactions and lung problems; fatal infusion reactions have been reported. In most cases, these reactions occurred during or within 24 hours of receiving Herceptin. Your Herceptin infusion should be temporarily stopped if you have shortness of breath or very low blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor you until these symptoms go away. If you have a severe allergic reaction, swelling, lung problems, inflammation of the lung, or severe shortness of breath, your doctor may need to completely stop your Herceptin treatment.

Worsening of low white blood cell counts associated with chemotherapy has also occurred.

Herceptin can cause low amniotic fluid levels and harm to the fetus when taken by a pregnant woman.

The most common side effects associated with Herceptin were fever, nausea, vomiting, infusion reactions, diarrhea, infections, increased cough, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, rash, low white and red blood cells, and muscle pain.

Because everyone is different, it is not possible to predict what side effects any one person will have. If you have questions or concerns about side effects, talk to your doctor.

Please see the Herceptin full Prescribing Information including Boxed WARNINGS and additional important safety information.



Herceptin® (trastuzumab)Herceptin® (trastuzumab)

Adjuvant Care Is defined as additional treatment given after the main treatment plan to decrease the chance of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy

Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body; also referred to as invasive or infiltrating