Neoadjuvant treatment in a patient with HER2-positive breast cancer - a case study and review of recent recommendations

Pre-operative breast cancer therapy (neoadjuvant or induction) is reserved for patients with locally advanced tumours primarily amenable to surgery (neoadjuvant treatment) or subjects with initially unresectable disease in whom respectability may be achieved following upfront systemic treatment (induction therapy). Initial systemic treatment may be used in all phenotypes of breast cancer. Patients with "triple-negative" breast cancer (TNBC) or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-positive tumours benefit most from preoperative therapy. Patients in this group most often achieve pathological complete response (pCR), which results in an improved prognosis. In this report, we present a case of complete tumour regression following neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with trastuzumab (currently a non-reimbursed indication in Poland) and we review the literature on this issue.