Overview on Current Trends and Emerging Therapies in the Chemotherapy of Patients with Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer

Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in the management of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) due to the development of targeted therapies. However, HER2-positive BC is an aggressive subtype, posing significant challenges, including treatment resistance and disease recurrence. Current standard treatment options for HER2-positive BC include combinations of chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab, and hormone therapies. However, some important limitations of these treatments, such as resistance and adverse effects, are reported. Also, we showed emerging therapeutic options, such as novel chemotherapy agents, antibody-drug conjugates, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, and discussed their mechanisms of action, potential benefits, and potential future directions in the field.