Could Herceptin be prescribed to a patient who is in cancer remission (disease-free) ?

Question

Hi, I work at Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. During a phone call with a Breast Cancer patient, the patient mentioned that she was taking Herceptin and also that she was in remission. We need to determine whether the patient is truly in remission to evaluate whether she will be eligible for our new service. For the wellbeing of the patient, we avoid asking questions such as, do you still have cancer, or did your last scan show any tumours. My question is, could herceptin be prescribed to a patient who is in remission (disease-free)? or is it just taken as part of an active cancer treatment? Thank you for your help :) Emily

Laurie Hudon Germain · Accepted Answer

Hi ! Thank you for your question ! When used alone, Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is usually given for a whole year after surgery. It basically means that the tumor was surgically removed, but we give Herceptin to prevent replication of any other abdormal cells. Hope this answers your question, don't hesitate if you have any further questions ! Laurie Hudon-Germain, pharmacist