Biological (targeted) treatments target proteins that enable cancer cells to grow.
To see if current biological treatment will work for you, you’ll need to have a test to see if - like one in five women with secondary breast cancer - you have high levels of HER2. If you have, you may be offered biological treatment in an effort to block HER2 and stop your cancer growing or spreading.
Common antibody treatments for secondary breast cancer
Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
This is a biological treatment for women who have secondary breast cancer and high levels of HER2. It is given in combination with taxane chemotherapy.
Lapatinib (Tyverb)
Lapatinib (Tyverb) blocks cells division and growth in cancer cells.
You can only be prescribed lapatinib if you have HER2 positive breast cancer and if Herceptin has stopped working. You should also have received standard chemotherapy drugs such as anthracyclines and taxanes before being offered lapatinib.
Although it can be prescribed, lapatinib may not be widely available.
See the Cancer Research UK website for more information about biological treatments for secondary breast cancer.
