How does herceptin affect the heart?
Here is an excerpt from the warning letter sent to physicians from the manufacturer of Herceptin: “Dear Healthcare Provider: Genentech, Inc. wishes to inform you of updated cardiotoxicity information related to the use of HERCEPTIN® (trastuzumab), obtained from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) study (B-31), a randomized, Phase III trial that was conducted in 2043 women with operable, HER2 overexpressing breast cancer (IHC 3+ or FISH+). This study demonstrated a significant increase in cardiotoxicity in patients who were randomized to the HERCEPTIN-containing arm as compared to patients who received chemotherapy alone. A preliminary analysis of the safety data from Study NSABP B-31 was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in May 2005, during the presentation of a joint analysis of Study NSABP B-31 and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) study (N9831). Study NSABP B-31 was intended, in part, to cha
