Recent FDA-approved regimen provides new pathway for breast cancer patients
Lacey Klotz |
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Danielle Falconer, Pharm. D., and assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Lipscomb, is an expert on the topic, and said progress is being made on finding new methods for fighting the disease.
This month marks the first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month that oncologists and pharmacists are able to celebrate the pathway created by a new therapy option for patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
In February 2015, the FDA approved a new regimen, Ibrance, to help combat cancer. Ibrance is referred to as a CDK 4/6 inhibitor that is the only one of its class possessing the ability to cut off cancer cells so they are unable to reproduce.
“Ibrance was created for patients whose breast cancers express estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors and are HER2 negative,” said Falconer. “It is typically given in combination with Letrozole, a drug used to decrease estrogen production in women after menopause.”
One of the most modern aspects of Ibrance is that it is an oral therapy option and works on a 28-day cycle where patients takes one pill a day for 21 days, and then have a week free of Ibrance until the cycle begins again.
Although there are potential side effects including neutropenia, which increases risk for infections, as well as pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lungs, it is a great option to alternative infusion regimens such as Perjeta, if a patient falls into the right category of breast cancer tumors.
Falconer has experience working with breast cancer patients receiving infusion therapy and explained that the Ibrance regimen and Perjeta regimen options cover two different patient populations simply depending on characteristics of the breast cancer tumor.
“Patients whose breast cancers are HER2 positive must have some form of infusion therapy, because the drugs target receptors that are only available as infusion therapies," Falconer explained.
“Perjeta is injected into patients and is a monoclonal antibody that combats cancer cells by modifying the HER2 receptor so that signals are not sent to tell the cell to reproduce. This drug is typically given with the other medications Herceptin, Taxotere and carboplatin and therapy requires one day of infusions every 21-day cycle.”
Side effects to Perjeta may include hair loss and anaphylactic reactions, as well as nausea and fatigue after each infusion, which typically lasts a few days.
Studies show that a cancer diagnosis is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States and although both regimens have fairly comparable expenses, the new Ibrance regimen offers an option to avoid lengthy doctors visit and hidden overhead costs. The oral therapy option allows patients to go about their day-to-day activities without appointments, nausea and fatigue keeping them from work because maintaining their job, medical benefits and health insurance plan is vital for healing.
Lipscomb University’s College of Pharmacy & Health Science works to develop faculty experts who are leaders in their fields and are able to speak on pressing issues that impact the lives of the Lipscomb community, as well as the greater Nashville community and beyond.