NEWS Highlights from the latest news and research in clinical investigation

摘要

Genentech recently announced that the US FDA has approved trastuzumab (Herceptin~R) for the treatment of meta-static, HER2-positive stomach or gastro-esophageal cancer in patients who have not previously received any treatment. The approval was specifically for the use of trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy agents such as cisplatin.Trastuzumab is an antibody that is believed to target receptors expressed on the surface of tumors, inhibiting the spread of cancer by blocking the receptors from receiving signals to trigger tumor growth. It differs from chemotherapy agents in that it affects tumor growth but not existing cancer cells, hence the use in conjunction with chemotherapy agents which act on tumor cells. Trastuzumab adds to a recent trend for targeted molecular therapy and personalised medicine in oncology.