HER2 overexpression in metastatic breast cancer: development of therapies

Currently, the standard first-line treatment for patients with HER2 overexpression in metastatic breast cancer is trastuzumab in combination with taxane. Where progress of the disease is seen with trastuzumab, lapatinib in combination with capecitabine, or changing to treatment using trastuzumab with capecitabine has demonstrated interesting results. With the aim of further improving results for these patients, a number of new therapies are being evaluated. Combining trastuzumab with other monoclonal antibodies such as pertuzumab and bevacizumab, or with cytotoxins like TDM1, or with anti-mTORs such as everolimus, which targets other signalling pathways used in cell proliferation and survival, has shown promising results and will soon be part of our range of therapies. To cite this journal: Oncologie 14 (2012).