In Britain, more women die of breast cancer than any other type. The Herceptin results are some of the first to prove the potential of immunotherapy in combatting cancer. Immunotherapy, sometimes referred to as biotherapy, is an experimental form of treatment using agents that modify the body's immune defence mechanisms. Conventional treatment for breast cancer patients, using chemotherapy and radiation, is based on killing all fast growing cells. But these methods also kill cells that form hair and line the mouth and gut.
Many patients experience hair loss and mouth ulcers.
More significantly, chemotherapy and radiation destroy newly forming blood cells. This can result in dangerously low levels of white blood cells necessary for fighting infections, and also platelets needed for blood to clot. The impact can be life threatening. The advantage of using a cloned or artificially produced antibody like Herceptin is that it specifically targets the cancer cells, without damaging the patients' healthy cells. It is an entirely new way of treating cancer and represents a major scientific development.