Trastuzumab, an appropriate first-line single-agent therapy for HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer

doi:10.1186/bcr574

Breast Cancer Res

Volume 5
Issue 2

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Commentary

Trastuzumab, an appropriate first-line single-agent therapy for HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer

Carlos L Arteaga

Departments of Medicine and Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; and Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

author email corresponding author email

Breast Cancer Res 2003, 5:96-100doi:10.1186/bcr574


Published:	3 February 2003

Abstract

Overexpression of the HER2/Neu (ErbB2) proto-oncogene is associated with breast cancer progression and poor patient prognosis. Herceptin (trastuzumab) is a humanized IgG1 against the ectodomain of the HER2 receptor. In combination with chemotherapy, it induces regression of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast tumors and prolongs patient survival. Single-agent Herceptin in patients with HER2-amplified breast tumors also induces a definite objective response and clinical benefit rates, and is well tolerated. These data suggest that Herceptin is an effective first-line single-agent therapy for a predictable cohort of metastatic breast cancers and can therefore be used as a platform for therapeutic discovery against tumors that overexpress HER2.