Heart Monitoring in Breast Cancer – Essential or Excessive?
Trastuzumab and related drugs have transformed breast cancer treatment and dramatically improved survival rates. But the close cardiac monitoring required during treatment can be a heavy burden for both patients and healthcare systems. Dr. Andri Papakonstantinou is working to refine how doctors identify which patients truly need intensive follow-up.
When Herceptin (trastuzumab) was introduced in the late 1990s, it revolutionized care for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. These tumors are particularly aggressive, and before the advent of targeted therapy, many women with this diagnosis did not survive.
Today, trastuzumab and similar therapies are standard for a large proportion of patients with HER2-positive disease. They are also increasingly used in other forms of breast cancer, as evidence has shown benefits for broader patient groups.
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