Targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in the treatment of breast cancer: recent advances and future directions.

摘要: The HER2/neu (HER2) gene is a member of family genes which has been implicated in cancer. These four genes, HER1/EGFR, HER2, HER3 and HER4 encode for transmembrane proteins that are involved the regulation cell proliferation, differentiation survival. Amplification HER2 occurs 20%-25% breast cancers associated with an aggressive tumor phenotype poor prognosis. Results from five randomized, phase III clinical trials have recently demonstrated trastuzumab (Herceptin) significantly improves disease free survival overall when used conjunction chemotherapy early stage HER2-positive Despite adjuvant trastuzumab, approximately 15% patients recur, those metastatic eventually become resistant to therapy. Novel treatment approaches needed who either intrinsic or acquired resistance trastuzumab. This article reviews role managing advanced disease, lapatinib (Tykerb) novel agents development targeting mechanisms resistance.