VIDEO: Surge in therapeutic options leads to ‘promising time’ in breast cancer

The choice of post-surgical treatment regimens for early-stage breast cancer is based, primarily, on the unique characteristics of the patient and the particular pathology of the tumor, according to Paula Klein, MD, of the Mount Sinai Health System.

Before making recommendations, physicians determine the presence or absence of both hormone and HER2 receptors. Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors “are very good at changing the hormonal environment patients live in, and reduce the chances of a recurrence,” Klein said, and novel antibodies like trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech) and pertuzumab (Perjeta, Genentech) for HER2-positive breast cancer, in combination with chemotherapy, can also decrease the likelihood of recurrence. Other novel treatment options include immunotherapy and biologics.

“There are many, many new additions to our armamentarium,” Klein said. “It’s a very promising time in breast cancer.”