Wendy Clift, a widowed grandmother from Scone, NSW, received life-changing news shortly after a routine breast scan in 2007. Just days later, she underwent a mastectomy, which initially kept her cancer in remission for several years. However, at age 72, Wendy learned that her breast cancer had returned and spread. Despite the grim circumstances, she was invited to participate in a promising new drug trial aimed at improving longevity for patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.
The DIAmOND clinical trial explored the potential benefits of combining dual immunotherapy with existing treatments. Clift’s experience in the trial at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital this year has been encouraging; she reported that her cancer seems to be “pretty stable,” and some lumps have even disappeared, though the exact cause remains uncertain. Notably, she did not experience side effects during the trial and expressed a desire to help future patients rather than focus solely on her own outcome. “Whatever happens to me is neither here nor there, but hopefully, it’ll help somebody else,” she shared.
Immunotherapy leverages the body’s immune system to combat specific cancers, and in this trial, it was used alongside trastuzumab, popularly known as Herceptin. The objective was to assess whether this combination could extend periods of cancer control in patients who had developed resistance to trastuzumab. Among the 68 trial participants, results varied; some experienced a response rate of up to 63%, while others saw rates of around 27%. Remarkably, some patients managed to control their cancer for over two years.
Professor Sherene Loi, who led the trial through the research organisation Breast Cancer Trials, noted that the results are promising. “Combining new immunotherapy treatments with trastuzumab may offer a new treatment option for patients with treatment-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer,” Loi remarked, suggesting the need for further exploration to effectively integrate these treatments into clinical practice.
HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 15-20% of all breast cancer cases and typically exhibits a strong response to specific therapies. It is more prevalent among younger, pre-menopausal women. Wendy Clift’s journey underscores the hope that ongoing research and trials can create new opportunities for those battling this challenging disease.