Summary
Herceptin is an established biologic drug with proven efficacy in some -about 20% - breast cancer tumors. The teaser for this study suggests that Herceptin + chemo "significantly" prolongs survival compared to chemo alone for advanced gastric cancer.
Analysis
This would be a "Wow!" if it pans out. Gastric cancer is notoriously difficult to treat with standard chemo alone, and it has not (yet) benefited from any of the newer biologic therapies.
Obviously further details will be needed, but this sounds like a large (n=600,) randomized, Phase III study. As with breast cancer, the tumors had to have tested positive for the Her2/neu 'target' protein to be eligible to receive Herceptin.
It should be noted that gastric cancer is more prevalent in the East than in the West.
Stay tuned!
