Neoadjuvant treatment of HER2 and hormone-receptor positive breast cancer - moving beyond pathological complete response

Breast. 2014 Apr;23(2):188-92. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2013.12.005. Epub 2014 Jan 4.

Abstract

Pathologic complete response (pCR) was noted to be prognostic in all but hormone receptor-positive (HR) breast cancer cases even when HER2 is overexpressed. Evocative data suggest that HER2-positive breast cancer patients are a heterogeneous population and a subset of HER2-positive and HR-positive tumors biologically behave more like HER2-negative. Identification and targeted monitoring of these patients is crucial to consolidate data aiming to optimize combination treatment with new agents, thereby avoiding overtreatment with chemotherapy. The questions surrounding HER2-positive and HR-positive breast cancer patients treatment as well as the potential direction towards development of surrogate markers alternative to pCR are discussed.

Keywords: Breast cancer; HER2; Hormone receptor; Neoadjuvant therapy; Targeted therapy; Trastuzumab.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / methods*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Receptor, ErbB-2