As a lead author on a recent study published in the Lancet, Prof Javier Cortes discusses how treatment with eribulin extends lives of heavily pre-treated breast cancer patients compared with treatments of physician’s choice (EMBRACE study). Prof Cortes also discusses side effect management and appropriate patient selection.

Extending the lives of women who have had extensive treatment for breast cancer that has spread is not a lost cause, conclude authors of a study published Online First in The Lancet. The study shows that monotherapy with the drug eribulin extends the lives of breast cancer patients by a median 2.5 months compared with the treatment of the physician’s choice (median survival 13.1 vs 10.6 months). Eribulin, brand name Halaven, is a new chemotherapy drug that binds microtubules - structures that form the scaffolding that allows cell division - in a different way to existing chemotherapy drugs.

Cortes J et al: Eribulin monotherapy versus treatment of physician's choice in patients with metastatic breast cancer (EMBRACE): a phase 3 open-label randomised study, Lancet 2011



This programme was made possible with sponsorship from Eisai Europe Ltd.