The HERA study: a new standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer

The HERA study, conducted by the BIG network in 39 countries and with over a decade of continuous follow-up, contributed to the development of a treatment with the drug trastuzumab for the particularly aggressive HER2-positive type of breast cancer (which accounts for 15-20% of cases). This study, made possible thanks to the participation of 5,102 women, led to a new targeted, decisive treatment, reducing the risk of both recurrence and death by 25%.

This revolutionary treatment transformed a cancer once considered to be very aggressive to one that can be treated more easily. It is now the basis for new research to save even more lives.

Testimonial “If I am here today, it is thanks to BIG.”

Nathalie Misson de Saint-Gilles, President of BIG’s Committee of Ambassadors, benefited from trastuzumab (Herceptin®). Here is her story.

“Thirteen years ago, I was anxious following a mammogram. I learned over the phone that the sample they had taken revealed the presence of cancer. The ground opened under my feet and I understood that I was going to die. Taken care of by the medical team at the Jules Bordet Institute and Dr Nogaret, I slowly climbed back up the slope and began my journey as a patient. Removal of both breasts, chemotherapy for 4 months, and Herceptin® for 1 year. Two years later, I became an ambassador for BIG against breast cancer. Ten years later, I realise, somewhat emotionally, that if I am here today, it is thanks to the HERA study, conducted by BIG. This study has transformed a very aggressive cancer into a much more treatable one.”