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Study with AI plus Herceptin, no chemo?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008
Question from Rooster: I'm post-menopausal, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer. I want the benefits of hormonal therapy and Herceptin—but I'd really like to avoid chemo. I heard about a study using an aromatase inhibitor along with Herceptin, without the chemo. Tell me more about this?
Answer —Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.: It sounds as if the tumor that you've been treated for is responsive both to hormonal therapies and to Herceptin. Most U.S. oncologists have favored chemotherapy in patients whose tumors are HER2-positive. The use of hormonal therapy and Herceptin without chemotherapy is particularly appealing in somebody with an otherwise "lower risk" tumor, for example, small tumor, negative nodes. The benefits of chemotherapy may be small in somebody with a small tumor and negative lymph nodes. Nonetheless, as I said above, most oncologists will recommend chemotherapy in this setting. This is something you'll want to talk about with your doctor in your particular case. At the San Antonio conference, the combination of an aromatase inhibitor and Herceptin was shown to be highly effective in women with advanced, metastatic breast cancer. Most of us who take care of patients have used this combination for quite some time, often with long-lasting results. Studying this combination without chemotherapy in women with early stage disease will be important before it becomes standard practice.

On Wednesday, December 20, 2006, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2006. Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about the newest research on breast cancer treatment, side effects, risk of recurrence, and more.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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