Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Building Up a High-throughput Screening Platform to Assess the Heterogeneity of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancers
11:34

Building Up a High-throughput Screening Platform to Assess the Heterogeneity of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancers

Published on: December 5, 2017

13.1K

ASCO 2018: highlights in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

Rupert Bartsch1,2, Elisabeth Bergen1,2

  • 11Department of Medicine 1, Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Memo
|January 1, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Novel antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies show promise for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Future research will focus on these agents and combination therapies for improved patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer remains a significant clinical challenge.
  • Advancements in targeted therapies are crucial for improving patient outcomes.
  • Ongoing research explores novel agents and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging data on novel therapies for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.
  • To highlight potential future directions in drug development for this patient population.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical trial data presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.
  • Focus on early-phase studies of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies, and combination therapies.
  • Analysis of studies investigating treatments for pretreated patients and specific disease scenarios like CNS progression.

Main Results:

  • Novel ADCs (trastuzumab-deruxtecan, trastuzumab-duocarmazine) show clinical activity in pretreated patients, potentially including low HER2-expressing tumors.
  • ZW25, a bispecific HER2 antibody, demonstrated good tolerability and single-agent activity.
  • Combination of T-DM1 with neratinib showed high response rates; trastuzumab plus durvalumab yielded disappointing results.
  • PHEREXA trial suggests activity of dual HER2 inhibition (trastuzumab, pertuzumab) in previously treated advanced disease.
  • Tucatinib studies indicate systemic therapy efficacy with isolated CNS progression and stable extracranial disease.
  • Anti-HER2 treatment appears safe in asymptomatic patients with reduced ejection fraction.

Conclusions:

  • Emerging antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies represent promising future directions for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
  • Combination strategies and continued systemic therapy in specific scenarios warrant further investigation.
  • Careful patient selection and monitoring are essential for optimizing treatment outcomes.
Keywords:
ASCO Annual Meeting 2018HER2-positive diseaseHighlightsMetastatic breast cancerReview

More Related Videos

Generating a Murine Orthotopic Metastatic Breast Cancer Model and Performing Murine Radical Mastectomy05:05

Generating a Murine Orthotopic Metastatic Breast Cancer Model and Performing Murine Radical Mastectomy

Published on: November 29, 2018

11.7K
Monitoring Breast Cancer Growth and Metastatic Colony Formation in Mice using Bioluminescence06:52

Monitoring Breast Cancer Growth and Metastatic Colony Formation in Mice using Bioluminescence

Published on: November 5, 2021

3.7K

Related Concept Videos

Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
7.1K
Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression02:35

Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression

Chromatin is the massive complex of DNA and proteins packaged inside the nucleus. The complexity of chromatin folding and how it is packaged inside the nucleus greatly influences  access to genetic information. Generally, the nucleus' periphery is considered transcriptionally repressive, while the cell's interior is considered a transcriptionally active area. 
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the...
24.8K
Position and Displacement01:31

Position and Displacement

The position of an object defines its location relative to a convenient frame of reference at any particular time. A frame of reference is an arbitrary set of axes from which the position and motion of an object are described. Earth is often used as a frame of reference, and we often describe the position of an object as it relates to stationary objects on Earth. For example, a rocket launch could be described in terms of the position of the rocket with respect to Earth as a whole. On the other...
25.8K
Serial Position Effect01:03

Serial Position Effect

The serial position effect is a cognitive phenomenon where individuals are more likely to recall the first and last items in a list compared to those in the middle. This effect is divided into the primacy effect and the recency effect. The primacy effect is observed when the initial items in a list are remembered better. This occurs because these items are rehearsed more frequently or receive more elaborative processing, allowing them to be encoded into long-term memory more effectively. For...
542
Position Vectors01:29

Position Vectors

A position vector is a fundamental concept in mathematics that helps determine the position of one point with respect to another point in space. It is a vector that describes the direction and distance between two points. Position vectors are highly useful in the field of math and science, as they help represent spatial relationships and make calculations easier.
For instance, we want to locate a point P(x, y, z) relative to the origin of coordinates O. In that case, we can define a position...
1.9K
Anatomical Positions01:11

Anatomical Positions

In anatomy, several standard anatomical positions are used as references for describing the position and orientation of different body parts. These positions help provide a common frame of reference when discussing anatomical structures. The anatomical position is the standard reference point for describing the body's position and orientation. In this position:
The body is upright, facing forward, and standing erect.
The feet are parallel and flat on the floor.
The arms are hanging by the...
19.9K