Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Building Up a High-throughput Screening Platform to Assess the Heterogeneity of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancers
Published on: December 5, 2017
The evolving landscape of hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (EVOLVE): An Italian
Federica Miglietta1, Maria Grazia Razeti2, Aldo Caltavituro3
1Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DISCOG), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
Background:
The expanding treatment landscape for patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) has led to the emergence of new "grey areas" not covered by international guidelines, where treatment decision making is particularly challenging.
Methods:
Sixteen relevant statements regarding the management of HR+ /HER2- mBC were formulated by an Executive Board and validated by a Scientific Board, composed by internationally recognized experts in the field of BC. Subsequently, 50 Italian oncologists were surveyed between May 2024 and June 2024 through the modified Delphi method, in order to capture their rate of agreement and disagreement on the proposed statements.
Results:
The consensus was reached for all 16 statements: 4 were related to resistance and sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors and endocrine therapy, 6 to biomarkers for HR+ /HER2- mBC, and 6 to treatment algorithm of HR+ /HER2- mBC. The Panel critically and comprehensively discussed the most relevant results, especially regarding the statements with lower level of agreement (which ranged from 85.4 % to 100 %).
Conclusions:
The treatment of HR+ /HER2- mBC is currently being reshaped due to the expansion of its pharmacopoeia, the better understanding of its molecular determinants and the validation of biomarkers for patient selection. This consensus addressed the most controversial questions related to treatment decision and reached the agreement in all statements.
Related Concept Videos
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

