Aggressive breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer that is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis. However, recent research has led to a breakthrough in the treatment of this deadly disease.

Scientists have identified a new drug that shows promise in treating aggressive breast cancer, and clinical trials are underway to test its efficacy.

What is Aggressive Breast Cancer?

Aggressive breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer that grows and spreads quickly.

It is often referred to as triple-negative breast cancer because it does not respond to traditional hormone-based therapies that target estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors. This type of breast cancer is more common in younger women, African American women, and women with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

Current Treatment Options

Currently, the standard treatment for aggressive breast cancer is chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation therapy. However, this approach can be difficult for patients to tolerate and may not be effective in stopping the cancer from spreading.

There is an urgent need for new treatment options for aggressive breast cancer that are more effective and less toxic.

The New Drug

The new drug that shows promise in treating aggressive breast cancer is called tucatinib. It works by targeting a protein called HER2, which is overexpressed in about 15-20% of breast cancers.

Tucatinib is designed to inhibit the function of HER2, thereby slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.

Clinical Trials

The results of early clinical trials of tucatinib are promising. In a phase 1b trial, tucatinib was combined with chemotherapy and showed a response rate of 61% in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

In a phase 2 trial, tucatinib was combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine, two standard treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer, and showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival.

Based on these promising results, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted tucatinib a breakthrough therapy designation in 2018.

This designation is reserved for drugs that show promising results in early clinical trials and have the potential to fill an unmet medical need.

The Next Steps

The next step in the development of tucatinib as a treatment for aggressive breast cancer is a phase 3 clinical trial.

This trial will compare the efficacy and safety of tucatinib plus standard treatment to standard treatment alone in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The trial is currently underway and is expected to enroll over 480 patients.

Conclusion

Aggressive breast cancer is a deadly disease that is difficult to treat. However, the discovery of tucatinib, a new drug that targets the HER2 protein, has given hope to patients and their families.

Early clinical trials have shown promising results, and a phase 3 trial is currently underway. If this trial is successful, tucatinib could become a new standard of care for patients with aggressive breast cancer.