A targeted therapy for treating breast cancer could add years to the lives of patients in our area. It's called herceptin and it's a drug that specifically attacks her2, a dangerous protein that affects 25 to 30 percent of breast cancer patients.

Herceptin isn't a new drug, but recent studies show that in addition to helping chemotherapy work better, it can also greatly reduce the chance that your cancer will come back.

Dr. Steven Sorscher, a Marshfield Clinic oncologist, is calling herceptin a home run in breast cancer research and treatment.

Studies show women who take herceptin intravenously once a week for the year after their chemotherapy can cut their risk of the cancer coming back in half!

Dr. Sorscher says, "Depending on what your risk is that may be a huge number or a small number, but it's 50 percent of whatever your risk for recurrence."

That's great news for two women in our area who have shared their personal stories with Newschannel Seven, Anne Jacobson and Bobbi Helgeson.

Dr. Sorscher tells us Bobbi, who was at a high risk of having her cancer come back, has finished her chemotherapy and is now taking herceptin, reducing her risk of recurrence by 50 percent.

He says, "When the new information became available a few weeks ago I talked to her about going onto herceptin and she agreed to go onto herceptin, and as of this time there's no evidence of recurrence and she's tolerating the herceptin fairly well."

Anne Jacobson, Wausau's assistant city attorney, has been battling an unusual inflammatory breast cancer. She decided to start on herceptin even before these new studies were released. That will cut her chance of recurrence in half.

Dr. Sorscher says, "She said let's do it, even though it's unproven. Now we have the proof for at least one component, which is that herceptin will increase substantially her chance of being cured."

Herceptin does have a very rare risk of causing heart problems, but unlike chemotherapy, it doesn't cause nausea, vomiting, hair loss, or risk of infection.

In the future it could prove to have the same effects on other cancers.

Dr. Sorscher says it's considered a major breakthrough.

"I spoke to a breast cancer oncologist who's been doing research for years on this subject, and she said she literally broke down and cried when they released the info."

Dr. Sorscher says if you have finished chemotherapy for breast cancer within a year, you should ask your doctor about herceptin.