Neoadjuvant treatment in HER2 positive breast cancer. The Age of Targeted Therapy.: Narrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: The neodyuvant treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer has evolved over time, with the implementation of new therapeutic management strategies. It is in this way that trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody continues to be the standard treatment in this subtype of cancer, the first studies in which its efficacy is evidenced are the one carried out by Dr. Buzdar and the NOAH study in which patients achieved higher rates of complete pathological response compared to chemotherapy alone, as well as a higher number of breast-conserving surgeries rather than mastectomy.

Over the years, new therapeutic management strategies have been developed, thus we have the double anti-HER2 blockade with the monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab that have improved the rates of complete pathological response. In addition, lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been included as part of targeted therapies. It has been elucidated whether anthracyclines confer an additional benefit to neoadjuvant treatment and studies show that the benefit is the same as other chemotherapy regimens.

It is actually the essential chemotherapy in neoadjuvant therapy, the PHERGain study shows that there are patients who can achieve a complete pathological response only with the double anti-her2 blockade (trastuzumab and pertuzumab), which would avoid unnecessary toxicity due to chemotherapy, and strategies could be developed for the management of those patients who did not achieve a complete pathological response after double blockade. There is still a wide field to explore and with studies underway at the moment.