Final answer:
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is a monoclonal antibody used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer by targeting the HER2 receptor for removal by the immune system. It helps to increase survival rates when combined with chemotherapy but may have side effects such as damaging rapidly dividing healthy cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Trastuzumab, commonly known by its brand name Herceptin, is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of breast cancer. Specifically, it targets the HER2 receptor, which is overexpressed in approximately 20 to 30 percent of human breast cancers. Trastuzumab binds to the HER2 receptor, leading to its removal by the immune system, and controls the signaling through HER2, which is essential in the process of cell division and cancer progression. When used in combination with chemotherapy, trastuzumab has been shown to increase the overall survival rate of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Despite its beneficial effects, trastuzumab therapy can have side effects, which include damage to healthy cells that have a rapid turnover rate, such as those in the skin, hair, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow. Some common side effects associated with trastuzumab and other chemotherapy agents are due to the drugs not being entirely specific to cancer cells and thus affecting normal rapidly dividing cells.