Journal of Clinical & Experimental OncologyISSN: 2324-9110

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Research Article, J Clin Exp Oncol Vol: 6 Issue: 7

Trastuzumab Resistance: What Are We Offering to Breast Cancer Patients?

Sonel Patel1,3, Nandini Hayes2 and Maria Teresa Esposito1,4*

1Medicine Research Group, School of Health Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, United Kingdom

2Institute of Health Sciences Education, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

3Barts Cancer Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

4Department of Life science, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom

*Corresponding Author : Maria Teresa Esposito
Department of Life Science, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 02083927380
E-mail: m.esposito@uel.ac.uk; maria.esposito@roehampton.ac.uk

Received: September 27, 2017 Accepted: October 10, 2017 Published: October 17, 2017

Citation: Patel S, Hayes N, Esposito MT (2017) Trastuzumab Resistance: What Are We Offering to Breast Cancer Patients? J Clin Exp Oncol 6:6. doi: 10.4172/2324-9110.1000203

Abstract

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2/ErbB-2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cell growth and differentiation and over-expressed in about 15-30% of breast cancers. Trastuzumab is an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody that has significantly improved survival of patients with early and metastatic breast cancer (BC). However, 65% patients experience primary and secondary resistance. This article explores existing and emerging combination therapy for HER2 positive breast cancer, highlighting the success of trastuzumab in combination with another monoclonal antibody, pertuzumab and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors lapatinib and neratinib. Recent studies have indicated that combination of trastuzumab, pertuzumab and lapatinib increases the 3-year overall survival from 90% to 95% in metastatic BC patients. The EPHOS-B trial has shown a remarkable shrinkage of the tumour when lapatinib is used before surgery and chemotherapy. Despite this success, pertuzumab has just been approved for use in the British National Health Service (NHS) while pertuzuamb, lapatinib and neratinib have been approved for European and American markets for a number of years. Lapatinib and neratinib are not available yet in UK. Strict assessment criteria on cost-benefits might limit the access to these drugs to British cancer patients.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Trastuzumab; Resistance; Pertuzumab; Lapatinib; Neratinib; Anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies; SMTKI

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