Twoyearsaftersheunderwentamastectomyandchemotherapy,BarbaraBradfield’saggressivebreastcancerhadrecurredandspreadtoherlungs.Theoutlookwasgrim.ThenshetookpartinGenentech’sclinicaltrialsforanewdrug.Fiveyearslatersheremainscancer-free.Her-2isthebiographyofHerceptin,thedrugthatprovokeddramaticresponsesinBarbaraBradfieldandotherwomeninthetrialsandthatofferspromiseforhundredsofthousandsofbreastcancerpatients.Unlikechemotherapyorradiation,Herceptinhasnodisablingsideeffects.ItworksbyinactivatingHer-2/neu--aproteinthatmakescancercellsgrowespeciallyquickly--producedbyagenefoundin25to30percentofallbreasttumors.Herceptincausedsomepatients’cancerstodisappearcompletely;inothers,itslowedtheprogressionofthediseaseandgavethewomenmonthsoryearstheywouldn’totherwisehavehad.Herceptinisthefirsttreatmenttargetedatagenedefectthatgivesrisetocancer.Itmarksthebeginningofaneweraoftreatmentforallkindsofcancers.RobertBazellpresentsarivetingaccountofhowHerceptinwasborn.Her-2isastoryofdramaticdiscoveriesandstrongpersonalities,showingthecombinationofscientificinvestigation,money,politics,ego,corporatedecisions,patientactivism,andluckinvolvedinmovingthisgroundbreakingdrugfromthelabtoapatient’sbedside.Bazell’sdeftportraitsintroduceustotheremarkablepeopleinstrumentalinHerceptin’shistory,includingDr.DennisSlamon,thedrivenUCLAoncologistwhoplayedtheprimaryroleindevelopingthetreatment;LilyTartikoff,wifeoftelevisionexecutiveBrandonTartikoff,whotappedintoHollywoodmoneyandglamourtohelpfundSlamon’sresearch;andMartiNelson,whoinspiredtheactivistswholobbiedfora“compassionateuse“programthatwouldallowwomenoutsidetheclinicaltrialstohaveaccesstothelimitedsuppliesofHerceptinpriortoFDAapprovalofthedrug.Andthroughouttherearethestoriesoftheheroicwomenwithadvancedbreastcancerwhovolunteeredforthetrials,riskingwhattimetheyhadleftonanunproventreatment.Meticulouslyresearched,writtenwithclarityandcompassion,Her-2ismasterlyreportingoncutting-edgescience.
