Clinical Trials Of New Cancer "Smart Bomb" Prove Hopeful

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - There seems to be more progress in the fight against breast cancer.

Clinical trials using a revolutionary study called the "smart bomb" have been going on at area hospitals, including Beaumont.

Dr. Dana Zakalik, the director of cancer genetics at Beaumont, says they used over 900 women with advanced breast cancer and compared T-D-M-1, or a "smart bomb" - to a more traditional therapy.

"And this smart bomb - this combination agent - had a significantly improved progression free survival. Patients lived three months longer but more importantly at two years, there was a huge survival advantage between the 'smart-bomb' and conventional therapy," said Zakalik. "Furthermore, there were fewer adverse side effects."

Listen to the complete interview below:

"It is the first drug to combine an antibody that actually hones in against the cancer cells - so it can actually circulate through the body and find the cancer cells and that is linked to a toxin specific against cancer cells," said Zakalik.

Zakalik says it's the first time they've combined an antibody with a cancer-killing agent. She says they've seen 20 percent survival increase at 2 years - much bigger than anyone anticipated.

But that margin fell just short of the very strict criteria researchers set for stopping the study and declaring the new treatment a winner.