The approval in the United States of an innovative treatment for breast cancer has caused great repercussions among oncologists and also among people diagnosed with breast cancer. Several media outlets have highlighted the new drug as a “hope for patients with breast cancer.” The drug in question is trastuzumabe-deruxtecan, also known as DS8201. The study's researchers Destiny1-breast01 announced in December 2019 at the world's largest event on breast cancer, the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS 2019), in Texas, United States, the surprising results of the new drug. “We are truly faced with a revolutionary treatment. The results presented in the phase 2 study demonstrated tremendous benefits in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, who had already undergone, on average, six types of treatments,” comments Dr. Lilian Arruda, clinical oncologist and medical coordinator of the IBCC Oncology Research Center.What is HER-2 positive breast cancerSome types of breast cancer have an increased number of HER-2 receptors on the cell surface (the doctor can check this profile using a battery of tests). This condition is known as HER-2 overexpression and contributes to uncontrolled cell growth, which is the main characteristic of cancer. That is why it is a more aggressive type of tumor.Who will have accessApproved in the USA on January 6, 2020, in Brazil, access to the drug is made available through research protocols. Several research centers in Brazil are recruiting patients for studies using the new drug. Dr. Lilian Arruda points out that one of the several advantages of participating in clinical research is the opportunity to take advantage of a medication or procedure that is not yet available by the Unified Health System (SUS) or that is not yet being marketed. The IBCC Oncology Clinical Research Center is one of the places that is recruiting patients for research with the new drug.Learn more: https://ibcc.org.br/pesquisa-clinica/Colaboração by Dr. Lilian Arruda - clinical oncologist and medical coordinator of the IBCC Oncology Research Center.