San Antonio breast cancer study could save lives

SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio cancer clinic is the only one in Texas taking part in a worldwide study. Researchers at the START Center are trying to help find a drug that will beat metastatic breast cancer, the most dangerous form of breast cancer in women.

"I thought 'Oh my gosh, I beat this once. Can I beat it again?'" said Edda Tschirhart as she described the last nine years of her life.

In 2000, Tschirhart was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, had a mastectomy, and then...

"Four years go by and I started having pain," Tschirhart told News 4 WOAI.

The cancer metastasized in her pelvic bone.

"This is her pelvic bone and on the left side, she had this spot right here that lights up and that's where her cancer was located," explained Dr. Gladys Rodriguez as she showed News 4 WOAI Tschirhart's test results.

Dr. Rodriguez works at the START Center and Edda Tschirhart is exactly the kind of patient she wants to help with the new "Cleopatra Study."

"It's supposed to make Herceptin, which is an approved drug, work better," Dr. Rodriguez said.

Dr. Rodriguez said tumors sometimes become immune to Herceptin. So, researchers conducting the study are combining Herceptin with another drug for a one-two punch.

"We're hoping that, indeed, we can prove the combination is better than Herceptin alone," added Dr. Rodriguez. "And, therefore, have a new treatment for patients with metastatic breast cancer."

Thankfully, after that 9-year battle, Tschirhart can finally say she's in remission. But for the millions of other women battling breast cancer she says, there is hope.

Worldwide, there are only 300 patients participating in the study right now. Two of those patients are in San Antonio. They need around 1500.