Kadcyla is a drug approved in February of 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat advanced breast cancer. Genentech, the company that developed the drug, created it by combining the breast cancer drug Herceptin with a powerful toxin designed to target the cancer cells (Pollack). Kadcyla works because it links the toxin to a protein called monoclonal antibodies; these antibodies attach themselves to the tumors and deliver the toxin to the tumor (Pollack). Side effects of the treatment are reduced because the toxin does not become active until the antibody attaches itself to the tumor. This means that healthy cells can be spared.
The major clinical trial testing the effectiveness of Kadcyla involved 991 participants with metastatic breast cancer whose conditions were worsening in spite of receiving other standard breast cancer treatments such as Herceptin and chemotherapy (Pollack). Kadcyla extended the lives of the patients who received it an average of six months longer than patients who received the other treatments; 43% of those receiving Kadcyla had serious side effects while 59% of the other patients had serious side effects (Pollack). Kadcyla costs about $9,800 a month for treatment, or about $94,000 for an entire course of treatment, which is double the cost of Herceptin alone (Pollack).
Kadcyla appears to be an exciting new prospect for treatment of breast cancer, one that will appeal to many people because it lengthens life as well as reduces side effects. A nurse should be very interested to find out about this new type of drug because it has the possibility of preserving a better quality of life for patients with advanced breast cancer. Basic knowledge about how the drug works, such as how it does not release the toxin until it gets to the cancer cells, is information that a nurse can pass on to patients that will give them a positive feeling about receiving this treatment. However, the cost of the drug is very high and may be out of reach for some patients who could benefit from the treatment. There is little information yet about whether Genentech will assist patients who cannot afford it or whether insurance companies will want to assist with covering the expense of this drug. This is something that must be further explored because it seems cruel to offer false hope to patients who cannot afford this new treatment. However, overall the development of this type of drug is a very positive advance in medicine and cancer treatment.
References
Pollack, Andrew (22 Feb. 2013). F.D.A. Approves a New Drug for Advanced Breast Cancer. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/
business/fda-approves-breast-cancer-drug.html
