Postmenopausal women who have been diagnosed with HER2 positive , estrogen receptor sensitive breast cancer can now take advantage of a drug combination just approved by the FDA. Tykerb (lapatinib) and Femara (letrozole) are not new drugs for breast cancer, but using the combination of these to treat advanced breast cancer has just been studied. Results of the study showed that women with HER2, ER positive metastatic breast cancer had almost triple the survival rates of women treated with only Femara. When combined, Tykerb and Femara extended the lives of patients by 35 weeks, as compared to 13 weeks on Femara alone. When you think about Femara, you may consider it mostly as the drug that postmenopausal women can take after primary treatment for breast cancer. Femara blocks aromatase, preventing estrogen production and lowering your hormone levels. For women with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, taking an aromatase inhibitor is important for preventing a recurrence. Tykerb is a targeted biological therapy which seeks out HER2 positive cancer cells, and blocks their ability to respond to growth signals from the HER2 protein. Tykerb works by inhibiting the tyrosine kinase enzyme. In 2007, the FDA approved the combination of Tykerb with Xeloda for breast cancer patients who had HER2 positive tumors that had resisted previous treatment. Both drugs are taken as pills, and each has a variety of side effects. The study, a Phase 3 clinical trial, also showed that patients maintained their quality of life - which was better than side effects of standard chemotherapy and Femara. Results of this study were presented at the 2009 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium by lead researcher Beth Sherrill, and sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. FDA Approves Tykerb-Femara Combo for HER2 Metastatic Breast Cancer originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 09:44:11. Permalink Comment Email this