Trastuzumab administered subcutaneously delivered unique immunomodulation effects vs intravenous trastuzumab in patients with treatment-naïve HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer
Maria Hafez, MD, discusses factors such as HER2 status, lymph node negativity, and risk stratification that influence the selection of adjuvant treatment approaches for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer and expands on pivotal data that have changed the paradigm.
HER2-targeted therapies improve outcomes by shutting down growth signaling to cancer cells, targeted delivery of chemotherapy, or blocking intracellular signaling - all leveraging the HER2 receptor to better control metastatic breast cancer.
Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH explains that treatment decisions for metastatic breast cancer are based on the current biopsy showing receptor status, but prior biopsies over the full course of disease are considered as well, particularly for HER2 targeted therapies which may work even if HER2 low expression occurred years earlier.
Treatment for HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer depends on factors like hormone receptor status, with chemo/immunotherapy for PD-L1-positive triple negative disease, PARP inhibitors for BRCA mutations, and antibody-drug conjugates as options after first line therapy.