New Breast Cancer Treatments Offer Fewer Side Effects

Doctors say they're seeing breast cancer survivors live longer amid an explosion of new treatment options.

According to David A. Riseberg, M.D., Chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, one new treatment causes fewer side effects than chemotherapy alone and attacks cancer cells around the target.

"One of (the new treatments) are drugs called antibody drug conjugates, which are an antibody that goes after a target that's present on the breast cancer cell. Combined with chemo, it's sort of like a smart bomb where the chemo is selectively delivered to the cancer," Dr. Riseberg said.

Doctors are also seeing success with immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancers.

"(Triple-negative breast) cancers are unrelated to estrogen or something that's called HER2. These cancers are more aggressive, but we find that these immunotherapy drugs, when combined with chemotherapy, can yield better results," Dr. Riseberg explained.

They're also using targeted therapy drugs that selectively target DNA repair in women with an inherited breast cancer called BRCA.

"We're seeing fewer side effects in some situations and better results," Dr. Riseberg added.

Bonnie Hiebel was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, and after years of trying different treatments, her health was declining. In the spring, doctors gave her three months to live.

"From January to March, I was pretty much at death's door," Hiebel said.

Riseberg told Hiebel that he wanted to try something else, an antibody drug conjugate called Enhertu.

"I have a measure of life again and I'm very pleased with that," Hiebel said. "The cancer numbers are really going down."

Her advice to women fighting breast cancer?

"Find yourself somebody with which you're comfortable, that will listen to you and respect you, and then have a conversation with them," Hiebel said.

View Mercy medical oncologist Dr. David Riseberg’s interview regarding what’s new in breast cancer treatment.