KADCYLA for HER2+ early breast cancer

Is KADCYLA right for me? Learn about the potential benefits and risks.

KADCYLA is a prescription medicine used as an adjuvant (after surgery) treatment for HER2-positive early breast cancer when the patient has taken neoadjuvant (before surgery) treatment including a taxane and trastuzumab (Herceptin^®) and there is cancer remaining in the tissue removed during surgery. Patients are selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved test for KADCYLA.

If your doctor is considering KADCYLA for you for early breast cancer, your treatment plan may look like this:

After neoadjuvant treatment and surgery, a pathologist checks to see if any cancer cells are present in the breast tissue or any lymph nodes that the surgeon removed. If cancer cells are found in any of the removed tissue, this is called residual disease. If you have HER2+ early breast cancer and residual disease, your doctor may choose KADCYLA for you. Talk to your healthcare team about the potential benefits and risks of KADCYLA.

How well did KADCYLA work when given after surgery?

KADCYLA significantly lowered the chance of cancer coming back compared to Herceptin.

In a clinical study of 1,486 people with HER2+ early breast cancer who had residual disease after taking neoadjuvant medicine including a taxane and Herceptin and surgery,

Three years after people started the study:

Side effects that may occur with KADCYLA

KADCYLA can cause serious side effects including severe liver problems and heart problems. Receiving KADCYLA during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby and birth defects.

Additional possible serious side effects of KADCYLA include:
- Lung problems
- Infusion-related reactions
- Serious bleeding
- Low platelet count
- Nerve damage
- Skin reactions around the infusion site

See additional information on these side effects below or talk to your doctor.