HER2 and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer--blocking the right target

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical treatment of breast cancer

Background:

• HER2-positive breast cancer presents a poorer prognosis compared to HER2-negative types.
• Standard treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer involves chemotherapy and trastuzumab.
• Aromatase inhibitors combined with anti-HER2 therapies offer an alternative for HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive tumors.

Approach:

• This review evaluates treatment strategies for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
• It compares the efficacy of chemotherapy plus anti-HER2 therapy against aromatase inhibitors plus anti-HER2 therapy.
• The analysis considers data from randomized clinical trials.

Key Points:

• While aromatase inhibitors plus anti-HER2 therapy are more effective than hormone therapy alone, direct comparisons with standard chemotherapy regimens are lacking.
• Clinical trial data suggest that chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapies demonstrate superior activity.
• The efficacy of aromatase inhibitors combined with trastuzumab or lapatinib has been observed.

Conclusions:

• Chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy should be considered the standard of care for HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive tumors.
• This highlights the importance of established treatment protocols in managing advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.