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The Cancer Care Center

Targeted Biologics for Breast Cancer

Targeted cancer therapy is a treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Because these therapies specifically target the cancer, there is less damage to your body’s normal, healthy cells. These drugs aim to stop the uncontrolled growth and spread of cancer cells.

Targeted Biologic Therapy for Breast Cancer

Here are some of the frequently used targeted therapies for treating breast cancer:

• Herceptin: Cancer cells receive a signal telling them to grow and spread; Herceptin blocks the ability of the cancer cells to receive those signals.
• Tykerb: Certain proteins cause cells to grow rapidly and uncontrolled; this therapy blocks those proteins.
• PARP Inhibitors: PARP is a protein that helps cells, including cancer cells, repair themselves and continue growing. These cancer cells then become resistant to treatment. A PARP inhibitor blocks the PARP proteins from doing their jobs in fixing damaged cancer cells. Often, PARP inhibitor is added to chemotherapy and radiation treatments; sometimes it is used alone.

For information about The Cancer Care Center, please call 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.

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