CANCER RESEARCH BENEFITS LOCAL WOMAN.Byline: Tere Marshall Daily News Staff Writer A three-year worldwide trial of the breast cancer drug Herceptin that included a Santa Clarita woman brings hope for cancer sufferers who have a genetic alteration that causes cancer cells to grow out of control. The Federal Drug Administration's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee has recommended approval of the drug, which targets that genetic alteration found in one-third of breast cancer patients. Pat LaMont, a Santa Clarita resident who was one of the first four women who entered the trial three years ago, was not only diagnosed with breast cancer but under the care of oncologist John Barstis of the UCLA/Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Cancer Center discovered cancer in her liver, her hip bones and seven of her lymph nodes Lymph nodes Small, bean-shaped masses of tissue scattered along the lymphatic system that act as filters and immune monitors, removing fluids, bacteria, or cancer cells that travel through the lymph system. . Barstis recommended her for the trial of Herceptin and she is now cancer-free, inspiring thousands over the past three years to volunteer for the trial around the world. As a result of the trial use of the drug conducted at the Jonsson Cancer Center at UCLA Medical Center UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. It is rated as one of the top three hospitals in the United States and is the top hospital on the West Coast according to US News & World Report. , Herceptin has now been recommended for approval by the FDA's Advisory Committee. ``The final decision rests with the head of the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ,'' said Kim Irwin, a spokeswoman for the center. ``And they generally follow the committee's advice. It was approved by the committee Wednesday; now final approval could come any time between now and Nov. 4.'' Genentech, a leading drug manufacturer, has been manufacturing Herceptin in anticipation of FDA approval, and company officials expect to begin distributing the drug within the next several weeks. The Herceptin drug is the first of its kind to be approved for use by the FDA. Not only does this new drug improve the effectiveness of conventional therapies such as chemotherapy, but it also reduced breast cancer by 50 percent when used alone. In 1995, Barry and Pat LaMont traveled from Santa Clarita to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX once a week so that Pat could take the Herceptin antibody intravenously for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. ``Herceptin doesn't make your hair fall out or make the blood counts drop like chemotherapy does,'' Pat LaMont said. ``I had chemo che·mo n. Chemotherapy or a chemotherapeutic treatment. (therapy) with Herceptin combined, but now they're using it without chemo. I wish I could have tried it without the chemo, but they didn't want to risk it so early in the trial.'' Herceptin targets a specific gene, HER-2/neu, that causes the rapid growth and cell division that builds a tumor. More than one-third of cancer patients have cells that ``overexpress'' the gene HER-2/neu. Stopping the gene from sending the growth signals will stop one-third of breast cancers from growing. ``This drug opens a new frontier in cancer treatment,'' said Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program and leader of the Jonsson Cancer Center team that did the initial research leading to the production of Herceptin. ``This proves the paradigm that if we understand what is broken in the malignant cell, we may be able to fix it.'' Growth factor receptors, protein molecules produced by the gene HER-2/neu, cling to the surface of the tumor cells and wait for instructions to begin the cell division process. The cancer patients who have the gene HER-2/neu have too many of these proteins, causing a chain of events that leads to the rampant spread of cancer. Only the cancer patient who has an overexpressed HER-2/neu gene can benefit from the Herceptin antibody. Herceptin received global attention after outcomes were announced recently at the American Society of Clinical Oncology American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, is an organization that represents all clinical oncologists. Every year, ASCO holds a large symposium where physicians and researchers meet to convey and discuss research and ideas. Conference in Los Angeles, and the drug is now being hailed as a significant medical breakthrough. ``Herceptin could have ramifications ramifications npl → Auswirkungen pl for other cancers as well,'' Slamon said. ``About 20 percent of women with ovarian cancer ovarian cancer Malignant tumour of the ovaries. Risk factors include early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), absence of pregnancy, presence of specific genetic mutations, use of fertility drugs, and personal history of breast , for example, overexpress the HER-2/neu gene, and Herceptin may prove effective for women with that disease.'' Other cancers mentioned as potential Herceptin targets include gastric, endometrial endometrial /en·do·me·tri·al/ (en?do-me´tre-il) pertaining to the endometrium. endometrial, n relating to the end-ometrium or cavity of the uterus. , salivary gland salivary gland Any of the organs that secrete saliva. Three pairs of major glands secrete saliva into the mouth through distinct ducts: the parotid glands (the largest), between the ear and the back of the lower jaw; the submaxillary glands, along the side of the lower jaw; , pancreatic, prostate, colorectal and nonsmall-cell lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell. . For information, visit http://www.cancer.mednet.ucla.edu. |
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