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Published on: December 11, 2017

Anti-HER agents in gastric cancer: from bench to bedside

Lorenzo Fornaro1, Maurizio Lucchesi, Chiara Caparello

  • 1UO Oncologia Medica 2 Universitaria, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Istituto Toscano-Tumori, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy. lorenzo.fornaro@ gmail.com

Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|June 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) pathways shows promise for advanced gastric cancer. Refining patient selection is crucial for effective targeted therapies and developing treatments for nonresponsive disease.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Advanced gastric and gastro-esophageal junction cancer treatment remains challenging despite recent progress.
  • Effective drug development necessitates a deep understanding of cancer biology.
  • Targeting molecular pathways, like those involving human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family members, offers a promising therapeutic strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of targeted therapies in advanced gastric and gastro-esophageal junction cancer.
  • To highlight the importance of molecular pathway knowledge in guiding drug development.
  • To emphasize the need for refined patient selection in targeted therapy trials.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing data on targeted agents, particularly anti-HER2 therapies like trastuzumab.
  • Analysis of outcomes from phase I, II, and III trials for novel anti-HER molecules.
  • Assessment of the challenges in identifying predictive factors for targeted treatments.

Main Results:

  • The anti-HER2 agent trastuzumab demonstrated positive results in HER2-positive gastric cancer patients.
  • Current evaluations of new anti-HER molecules are ongoing.
  • Attempts to identify reliable predictive factors from early-phase trials have yielded inconclusive results.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted therapies, especially those inhibiting HER family members, hold potential for treating advanced gastric and gastro-esophageal junction cancers.
  • Refining patient selection is essential to maximize the benefits of targeted agents and minimize toxicity.
  • Further research is needed to identify predictive biomarkers and develop alternative strategies for nonresponsive disease.

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