The US FDA has recently approved a new genetic test for breast cancer: the SPOT-Light HER2 CISH kit.
This novel genetic test – a product of Invitrogen Corporation – determining whether patients with breast cancer are good candidates for treatment with the drug Herceptin (trastuzumab).
The SPOT-Light HER2 CISH kit is a test that measures the number of copies of the HER2 gene in tumor tissue. This gene regulates the growth of cancer cells.
A healthy breast cell has two copies of the HER2 gene, which sends a signal to cells, telling them when to grow, divide and make repairs.
Patients with breast cancer …read more

A product of GlaxoSmithKile Plc – TYKERB® (lapatinib) – has recently been approved by the USFDA, in combination with Xeloda® (capecitabine), for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab.
TYKERB® (a pdf file) – a small molecule that inhibits the tyrosine kinase components of the EGFR (ErbB1) and HER2 (ErbB2) receptors – is the first targeted, once-daily oral treatment option for the abovementioned patient population.
This approval reflects more than 16 years of research, including more than 60 clinical trials and investigator-initiated …read more