Emerging Treatments for Breast Cancer Patients in Illinois

 Posted on February 25, 2022 in Medical Malpractice

Breast cancer treatments are constantly evolving towards more effective methods with less significant side effects. Women in Illinois who are diagnosed today with breast cancer, especially those whose cancer is caught early, stand a much better chance of survival than cancer patients even in the more recent past. 

But even the most effective treatment is dependent on correctly diagnosing cancer in a timely manner. Doctors, radiologists, and oncologists must take the responsibility to provide their patients with a standard of care seriously. When medical providers make mistakes, act negligently, or otherwise cause a misdiagnosis or inappropriate course of treatment for breast cancer, they may be held liable for the consequences. Here are some of the most promising emerging breast cancer treatments available today. 

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

For a long period of time, HER2 breast cancer was one of the most difficult types of breast cancer to treat. A new drug, trastuzumab, specifically targets HER2 receptors and has improved treatment outcomes significantly, especially when combined with chemotherapy. HER2-positive breast cancer is still challenging because not every patient receives the same benefit from trastuzumab and doctors must be particularly careful to assess a patient’s likelihood to need aggressive treatment methods. 

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancers do not have estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors and different types tend to be very similar to each other, allowing for targeted treatment that may allow more successful outcomes across all triple-negative breast cancers. Immunotherapy shows some promise, although not all patients benefit from it. Likewise, PARP inhibitor treatment can kill cells that have specific mutations that cause cancer, but certain tumors tend to respond better to this treatment than others. 

Metastatic Breast Cancer 

Breast cancers that have metastasized into other areas of the body are the subject of rapidly developing treatments, including cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors. These are a class of drugs that work to interrupt the growth of cancer cells and are used in combination with hormone therapy, potentially introducing major changes into one of the most difficult stages of cancer to treat. 

Call a Chicago Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered a breast cancer misdiagnosis or mistreatment, you may want to seek the help of an experienced Chicago breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney with Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC. We have assisted clients who have won large settlements against responsible parties, and while we recognize that a settlement can never bring back a loved one or restore lost health, they can help with recovery and prevent such tragedies in the future. Call us today at 312-236-6324 to schedule your free consultation. 

Sources: 

https://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13045-017-0466-3 

https://www.bcrf.org/blog/breast-cancer-treatments-current-new-and-emerging-therapies/