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While breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, death rates are decreasing. Experts attribute that to earlier detection and better, more targeted treatment.

“With the new advancements in therapy, women have a much greater chance of being cured, and even women with advanced breast cancer may live very long and productive lives,” says Lisa Weissmann, M.D., oncologist at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Researchers have been studying immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) and how to deliver treatment in a more targeted fashion. Immunotherapy is the use of the body’s own defense mechanisms to ward off and kill foreign cells without affecting healthy cells. In the case of cancer, immunotherapy helps the body’s immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. People may develop cancer, however, because the immune system either doesn’t recognize the cancerous cells, or the anti-bodies the immune system produces to fight off the cancer aren’t strong enough.

“One of the most exciting new therapies is a medicine that targets just the breast cancer cell,” says Dr. Weissmann. “This has been shown to significantly increase the chances for cure in early stage breast cancer.”

Dr. Weissmann is referring to a drug called Herceptin®. It’s used in metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread beyond the breast) cases where the tumor produces too much of a protein called HER2. Herceptin® is usually used in conjunction with chemotherapy. “I’m treating women with widespread metastatic breast cancer who now live years longer because of this medicine,” says Dr. Weissmann.

Dr. Weissmann says oncologists are also looking at the different ways they give hormone therapy. Hormone therapy prevents the body’s hormones from attaching to cancer cells, allowing them to spread and grow. Estrogen plays a key role in the development of cancer cells in about two thirds of breast cancer cases. Several therapies have been developed to either prevent that effect of estrogen or reduce estrogen levels.

“We’re finding that there may be newer forms of hormone therapy, called aromatase inhibitors, which may be slightly more effective than the more traditional medicines for the right person,” says Dr. Weissmann.

Aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Dr. Weissmann says they can be used instead of the commonly used drug tamoxifen or in addition to it. “That extends our ability to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer,” she says.

Going one step further, physicians are also extending the length of time women stay on these medications after they are in remission. Currently, most women on hormone therapy take tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors or a combination for five years after having breast cancer. Now doctors are looking at prolonging the use of the pills.

“Our goal is to find a sequence of medications that would protect a woman from recurrence of breast cancer for the rest of her life,” explains Dr. Weissmann.

Scientists are working hard to achieve that goal, and new developments happen often. That’s why Dr. Weissmann says it’s very important for women who have had breast cancer make sure they come in for regular check-ups.

“It’s an opportunity for us to discuss what the newest treatment options are, so that we can stay ahead and be able to provide different therapies to our patients,” says Dr. Weissmann.

At Mount Auburn Hospital’s Cancer Treatment Center, not only are cancer patients treated using the latest in medicinal advances, but in technological advances as well. Coordinating treatment is very much a team effort. Mount Auburn uses a multi-disciplinary approach when caring for patients.

“We have surgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, nurses, and social workers, all of whom specialize in the treatment and care of women that have breast cancer,” says Dr. Weissmann. She adds that care extends beyond the patient and to their families through the services offered at Mount Auburn’s Hoffman Breast Center, where they can find information and support also.

The future of breast cancer treatment looks more promising every day. Dr. Weissmann expects a lot more medicines like Herceptin® to become available in the very near future. She says the model for treatment will continue to look at targeted therapy; therapy that specifically attacks the breast cancer cell.

“That’s really going to be what moves this field forward, and there’s a lot of exciting research coming down the line in the not too distant future,” says Dr. Weissmann. “I really think in the next two to three years we’re going to see a whole range of these medicines coming out.”

For a free Mount Auburn Hospital cancer education packet, please call us at 617-499-5094.