T-DM1 Spares Women From Some, But Not All, Serious Side Effects

By Charlene Laino WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD  June 4, 2012 (Chicago) -- A new targeted cancer drug delayed the worsening of metastatic breast cancer, possibly with fewer side effects than traditional treatments, according to results of a late-stage study.  Called T-DM1, the new drug combines Herceptin with a potent chemotherapy drug. It's been called a "magic bullet": Herceptin homes in on cancer cells and delivers the cancer-killing agent directly to its target without damaging nearby cells.  The study involved nearly 1,000 women with metastatic breast cancer that was continuing to get worse despite treatment with Herceptin and a common chemotherapy drug.  Half the women got T-DM1 and the other half got Tykerb and Xeloda, a standard treatment for women who aren't helped by Herceptin.  T-DM1 delayed the time to the disease progressing by about three months. Among women who received T-DM1, the average time before the disease got worse was about nine-and-a-half months vs. about six-and-a-half months for those getting the standard drugs.  Although a few months might not sound like much, it can be a huge gain for seriously ill patients who are running out of options, say doctors studying the drug.  It is still too early to know for sure that T-DM1 will prolong lives, but the early data suggest that it will, says researcher Kimberly Blackwell, MD, of Duke University.  For the most part, women taking T-DM1 did not suffer the often debilitating side effects associated with chemotherapy, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and hair loss, she tells WebMD.  Still, the drug is not without toxicity: About 41% of women on T-DM1 suffered a serious side effect vs. 57% of those getting standard treatment.  About 13% of women getting T-DM1 had lowered blood platelet counts, which can increase the risk of bleeding. But there were very few cases of bleeding.  The findings were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.