Breast Cancer Trial Results
For Some Breast Cancers, New Drug May Be Treatment Option
(Posted: 06/13/2012) - Results from an international clinical trial suggest that women with metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer that is no longer responding to the targeted therapy trastuzumab (Herceptin) may soon have a new treatment option. Women who received the investigational drug trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) lived more than 3 months longer without their tumors progressing than women who received the chemotherapy drug capecitabine (Xeloda) and the targeted drug lapatinib (Tykerb).
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Exemestane Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in High-Risk Postmenopausal Women
(Posted: 07/19/2011, Updated: 03/07/2012) - Clinical trial results presented at the 2011 ASCO annual meeting showed that the aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin®)—commonly used to treat early and advanced-stage breast cancer—substantially reduced the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk of developing the disease.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Exemestane Following Tamoxifen Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrences and Prolongs Survival
(Posted: 02/01/2012) - Long-term follow-up data from a large international phase III trial shows that postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who received 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen and then switched to the drug exemestane (Aromasin®) for a total of 5 years of adjuvant hormone therapy experienced a delay in disease recurrence and a survival advantage, compared with women who took tamoxifen for 5 years.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Combination Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Advanced Breast Cancer
(Posted: 12/21/2011) - Adding the drug everolimus (Afinitor®) to exemestane helped postmenopausal women whose advanced breast cancer had stopped responding to hormonal therapy live about 4 months longer without the disease progressing than women who received exemestane alone.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Two Drugs that Hit One Target Show Efficacy against Metastatic Breast Cancer
(Posted: 12/21/2011) - Combining two drugs that target the HER2 protein, trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and the investigational agent pertuzumab, with chemotherapy may be a new treatment option for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to results from a large clinical trial.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
(Posted: 06/13/2012) - Results from an international clinical trial suggest that women with metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer that is no longer responding to the targeted therapy trastuzumab (Herceptin) may soon have a new treatment option. Women who received the investigational drug trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) lived more than 3 months longer without their tumors progressing than women who received the chemotherapy drug capecitabine (Xeloda) and the targeted drug lapatinib (Tykerb).
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Exemestane Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in High-Risk Postmenopausal Women
(Posted: 07/19/2011, Updated: 03/07/2012) - Clinical trial results presented at the 2011 ASCO annual meeting showed that the aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin®)—commonly used to treat early and advanced-stage breast cancer—substantially reduced the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk of developing the disease.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Exemestane Following Tamoxifen Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrences and Prolongs Survival
(Posted: 02/01/2012) - Long-term follow-up data from a large international phase III trial shows that postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who received 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen and then switched to the drug exemestane (Aromasin®) for a total of 5 years of adjuvant hormone therapy experienced a delay in disease recurrence and a survival advantage, compared with women who took tamoxifen for 5 years.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Combination Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Advanced Breast Cancer
(Posted: 12/21/2011) - Adding the drug everolimus (Afinitor®) to exemestane helped postmenopausal women whose advanced breast cancer had stopped responding to hormonal therapy live about 4 months longer without the disease progressing than women who received exemestane alone.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)
Two Drugs that Hit One Target Show Efficacy against Metastatic Breast Cancer
(Posted: 12/21/2011) - Combining two drugs that target the HER2 protein, trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and the investigational agent pertuzumab, with chemotherapy may be a new treatment option for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to results from a large clinical trial.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121006205148im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/spacer.gif)