Herceptin/Taxotere improve DF survival

Leading French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis and the Breast Cancer International Research Group reported three-year median follow-up efficacy and safety data from the BCIRG 006 Phase III breast cancer study, which confirms that Herceptin (trastuzumab) combined with Taxotere and docetaxel-based regimens significantly improved disease-free survival for women with early HER2-positive breast cancer.

The BCIRG 006 study randomized patients to receive the control arm AC-T (four cycles of doxorubicin [A] and cyclophosphamide [C] followed by four cycles of Taxotere [T]), or either of two experimental Herceptin-(H) and Taxotere-based therapies: AC-TH (adds one year of Herceptin to the AC-T regimen with Herceptin starting concurrently with Taxotere), or TCH (six cycles of Taxotere and carboplatin [C] with one year of Herceptin starting at the first cycle).

Data presented at the Texas, USA-based San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, show that the relative reduction in the risk of death was 41% (p<0.0041) and 34% (p<0.017) in the AC-TH and TCH and arms, respectively. when compared with the non-Herceptin-containing control arm. The relative reduction in the risk of relapse was 39% (p <0.001) and 33% (p = 0.0003) for AC-TH and TCH, respectively, versus the control.