HIV Drug Nelfinavir Shows Promise in Fighting HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer

FIRST PERSON | A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that the HIV drug Nelfinavir exhibits promise in fighting HER-2 breast cancer. This is an important study as HER-2 breast cancer is extremely aggressive and difficult to control. HER-2 breast cancers have a higher rate of recurrence than other types of breast cancer.

HER-2 positive

Breast cancers that overproduce the amount of the human epidural growth receptor 2 are considered HER-2 positive. The cells multiply faster than normal cells because of the over-expression of the HER-2 protein.

I have HER-2 positive breast cancer. Treatment for my cancer consists of 18 doses of the drug Herceptin. It is administered through a port in my chest. Treatment takes about half an hour. I have received 11 of the 18. Right now, everything is on hold because it looks like I am beginning to have trouble with tolerating Herceptin.

Current treatment options

HER-2 positive breast cancers have limited choices with treatments. Currently three drugs are available: Tykerb, which is taken in tablet form; Herceptin, which is administered through an IV; and a new drug called Perjeta, which is administered through an IV but it is hard to find.

If a patient cannot use Herceptin -- which is the drug of choice -- Tykerb may be prescribed instead. If Perjeta is available, this is another option, but Perjeta is only for HER-2 positive metastatic disease (cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.) If it turns out that I cannot continue with Herceptin, I may not be able to use Tykerb because the side effects of the two drugs are very similar. Perjeta is not an option for me because my cancer is contained to the breast tissue.

Nelfinavir

New research shows that the HIV drug Nelfinavir has a negative impact on HER-2 positive breast cancer cells. In particular, it is effective at destroying these cells even when drugs like Herceptin and Tykerb fail. Nelfinavir works by inhibiting the HSP90 function of HER-2 positive breast cancer cells.

Studies like this are extremely promising for those of use who have hard-to-treat, aggressive cancers. Nelfinavir is already approved for use. This means that getting clinical trials to test the drug for use on HER-2 positive cancers will be faster and easier than developing a new drug. People like me need drugs like Nelfinavir to be approved for HER-2 positive cancers because our treatment options become limited if we run into trouble tolerating currently available drugs.

Lynda Altman was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2011. She writes a series for Yahoo! Shine called "My Battle With Breast Cancer."



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