What is trastuzumab?

Have you ever heard of trastuzumab ? Don’t worry, most people haven’t. It’s one of those drugs that only the cool kids in the oncology world know about. But fear not, dear reader! Your friendly neighborhood article writer is here to give you a crash course on everything trastuzumab-related.

So what exactly is trastuzumab?

Simply put, it’s a monoclonal antibody drug used for the treatment of breast cancer and certain types of stomach cancer (that’s right, this bad boy has more than one use – versatility at its finest!) But what does that even mean? Let me try and break it down for you:

Monoclonal Antibody

You see, when your body detects something foreign – let’s say an invading virus or bacteria – your immune system produces antibodies to fight off the intruders. Think of them like tiny soldiers charging into battle against an enemy force.

Now imagine scientists taking some of those antibodies from a patient who has successfully fought off their own invaders and then cloning those antibodies over and over again until they have millions upon millions of identical copies (yes , you read that correctly – we now have cloned armies!). These newly created cloned armies are called monoclonal antibodies.

Trastu-what-now?

As mentioned earlier, trastuzumab is a type of monoclonal antibody specifically designed to target an overactive protein known as HER2/neu (its friends call it HER2 for short). This protein plays an important role in healthy cells but can be problematic in cases where there are too many copies present (cough cough, certain types of cancer).

The drug works by binding onto these excess HER2 proteins on cancerous cells which ultimately leads to halting cell division and growth (take THAT, malignant cells!).

Got any fun facts about trastuzumab?

You know I do! Here are some interesting tidbits for your next party:

  • Trastuzumab is also known by its brand name, Herceptin (ooh la la).
  • It was first approved for use in the United States in 1998 – that’s over two decades ago!
  • The drug is delivered intravenously (aka through an IV) and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to administer.
  • Speaking of administration, did you know it’s required that someone trained in chemotherapy administration give the dose? This isn’t something you want just anyone slapping into your veins (trust me).

How effective is trastuzumab?

Great question! In clinical trials, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who received trastuzumab along with standard cancer treatments had a higher overall response rate compared to those who only received the standard treatment. In fact, one study found that those who took trastuzumab along with their other medications had a 50% reduction in disease recurrence risk five years later (now THAT’S what I call progress!).

Are there any side effects I should know about?

Like most drugs out there , yes there can be side effects. Some common ones include:

  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Muscle/stomach pain
  • Headaches
  • Coughing

But don’t worry too much , these symptoms usually subside pretty quickly.

It’s important to note though(, heaven forbid we miss something important) , more serious and rare side effects have been documented as well such as heart problems or lung issues.That being said,your doctor will monitor you closely while on this medication.

So there you have it!

Trastu-wha-huh might sound like one of those gibberish names your cat makes up when it’s meowing at you (oh wait, that’s just mine?), but it’s actually a really effective drug in combating various types of cancer.

I hope this article has helped to shed some light on the topic and has renewed faith in science. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some monoclonal antibodies (wink HER2 soldiers) to go clone!

Random Posts