Home
>
About breast cancer
>
Secondary breast cancer
>
Antibody treatments for secondary breast cancer
My Breakthrough
Antibody treatments for secondary breast cancer
Antibody treatments aim to prevent cancer cells from getting access to the growth factors they need to multiply and spread.
You may have heard of the natural antibodies we all have that help us to fight infection. They recognise invading microbes and bind to proteins on their surface, so that our immune cells can destroy them.
Scientists can make specific antibodies in the laboratory. For cancer treatments, they make antibodies that bind to key proteins on cancer cells. All cells need growth factors in the blood to help them multiply, and cancer cells are no exception.
For these growth factors to work, they need to bind to proteins on cells. By blocking these proteins on cancer cells with antibodies, doctors prevent the growth factors from getting to them.
In breast cancer, the best target protein that scientists have found so far is called human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). About one in five women with secondary breast cancer have unusually high levels of HER2.
If you have secondary breast cancer, you can have a test to see if you have high levels of HER2. If your levels are high (HER2 positive), you may be offered antibody treatment to block HER2 and try to prevent your cancer from getting bigger and/or spreading.
You may be offered a different biological treatment to these. Further information is available from Cancerbackup.
Scientists can make specific antibodies in the laboratory. For cancer treatments, they make antibodies that bind to key proteins on cancer cells. All cells need growth factors in the blood to help them multiply, and cancer cells are no exception.
For these growth factors to work, they need to bind to proteins on cells. By blocking these proteins on cancer cells with antibodies, doctors prevent the growth factors from getting to them.
In breast cancer, the best target protein that scientists have found so far is called human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). About one in five women with secondary breast cancer have unusually high levels of HER2.
If you have secondary breast cancer, you can have a test to see if you have high levels of HER2. If your levels are high (HER2 positive), you may be offered antibody treatment to block HER2 and try to prevent your cancer from getting bigger and/or spreading.
Treatments available
There are currently two biological treatments that are most commonly used for secondary breast cancer:You may be offered a different biological treatment to these. Further information is available from Cancerbackup.
Also within "Secondary breast cancer"
- Hormone treatment for secondary breast cancer
- Oophorectomy
- Radiotherapy for secondary breast cancer
- Chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer
- Antibody treatments for secondary breast cancer
