What is the difference between Herceptin and trastuzumab?

Trastuzumab is a targeted cancer drug and is also known by other names such as Herceptin, Herzuma and Ontruzant. It is a treatment for early and advanced breast cancer, advanced stomach cancer and cancer of where the food pipe joins your stomach (gastro oesophageal junction).

Is trastuzumab chemotherapy?

What Trastuzumab Is Used For: Trastuzumab is used to treat metastatic (spread) breast cancer. It is effective against tumors that overexpress the HER2/neu protein. As part of chemotherapy regimen for adjuvant treatment of lymph-node positive, HER2/neu protein positive breast cancer.

Is trastuzumab chemotherapy or immunotherapy?

These are active specific immunotherapy with Theratope and passive immunotherapy targeting the HER-2 receptor with trastuzumab (Herceptin). Trastuzumab has a proven efficacy as monotherapy as well as in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in HER-2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.

How much does trastuzumab cost?

Trastuzumab costs $49,915 and $28,350 per patient treated in the adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer settings, respectively; bevacizumab costs $48,490 and $39,614 per patient treated in the metastatic lung and colorectal cancer settings, respectively.

How long do you take trastuzumab?

If you’re having trastuzumab to treat primary breast cancer after surgery it’s usually given for one year (around 18 cycles). If you are having trastuzumab before surgery you will usually have four to six cycles.

Why is Herceptin given for a year?

Since 2005, the standard of care has been to give Herceptin for 1 year after surgery and chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence (the cancer coming back) of early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer. Like most cancer treatments, Herceptin can cause side effects, including possible heart damage.

Does Herceptin affect hair growth?

Is hair loss one of Herceptin’s side effects? People receiving Herceptin in clinical trials didn’t report hair loss as a side effect. But some of the drugs Herceptin may be used with can cause hair loss. (Herceptin may be used alone or in combination with other medications.)