Drug Combo Helps Women with Early Breast Cancer

SAN ANTONIO, TX – A new study finds that using two drugs,
Herceptin and Tykerb, more than doubles
the number of women with early breast cancer whose tumors disappear
before they are scheduled to have surgery to remove them.

These drugs target a protein that is overproduced in about
one-fourth of all breast cancers. In the study, about 450 women
getting chemotherapy were also given Herceptin or Tykerb or both
drugs. Half of the women on the combination saw their tumors
disappear versus only 20 percent of those taking either drug alone.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC makes Tykerb. Roche’s Genentech division
makes Herceptin. Doctors discussed the study Friday at a conference
in San Antonio.