Targeted Therapy in her2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Breast tumours positive for HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) represent approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases and are associated with an aggressive natural history. The advent of targeted anti-HER2 therapies has dramatically improved disease control and survival in patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Targeted agents are now considered the standard of care in the first-line setting and beyond. The present review summarizes the currently available data on targeted anti-HER2 therapies from completed randomized phase III clinical trials and briefly discusses emerging advances that will address unmet needs in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.