Dr. Hurvitz on Using ADCs in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, associate professor of medicine and medical oncologist, University of California Los Angeles, discusses the use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in HER2-positive breast cancer.

ADCs combine a very specifically targeted antibody that targets the tumor cells more than the normal cells with a cytotoxic payload, which is a very potent type of chemotherapy, explains Hurvitz. This allows the chemotherapy to be directed to the antigen-overexpressing tumor cell. By targeting chemotherapy directly to the antigen overexpressing tumor cells, the toxicity is limited in normal cells.

While patients get a very toxic type of chemotherapy with the ADCs, the chemotherapy targets the HER2 antigen; therefore, patients do not have hair loss and avoid other typical adverse events caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy.

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