Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025
Building Up a High-throughput Screening Platform to Assess the Heterogeneity of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancers
Published on: December 5, 2017
Analysis of HER2-Low Breast Cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study
Annette Lasham1, Reenadevi Ramsaroop2, Abbey Wrigley3
1Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Objectives:
To perform the first national analysis of demographic and clinicopathological features associated with the HER2 positive, HER2-low, and HER2-zero invasive breast cancers in New Zealand. The study will reveal the proportion of women who may benefit from new HER2-targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC) therapies.
Methods:
Utilising data from Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae (Breast Cancer Foundation NZ National Register), the study analysed data from women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer over a 21-year period. The HER2 status of tumours was classified into three categories-HER2-zero, HER2-low, HER2-positive.
Results:
From 2009-2021, 94% of women underwent HER2 testing, with 14% diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer. For advanced-stage disease, 38% of those formerly classified as HER2-negative were reclassified as HER2-low. Including HER2-positive breast cancers, this indicates that 60% of women with advanced breast cancer may potentially benefit from the new HER2-directed ADCs (approximately 120 women per year).
Conclusions:
The findings suggest a significant proportion of women with invasive breast cancer in New Zealand could benefit from new HER2-targeted treatments. There is a need to standardise HER2 testing to enhance personalised treatment and improve outcomes.
