About 20 will be at Heartland. The majority of women are expected to come from Wyandotte County, and other parts of the metro area. What makes this different is the combination of two drugs. One is an old drug - chemotherapy. The other is a new drug - Herceptin.
Chemotherapy targets the breast cancer cells.
This can extend a woman's life, but it is not a cure in itself, said Sadasivan. Herceptin has been shown to be effective, and even more so when combined with chemo. The side effects from chemo are well known. The side effects from Herceptin include infection, numbness, tingling, but none are debilitating. Sadasivan said for women with breast cancer, but not in advanced stages, many other options are available, such as surgery.