Early detection and Advanced Targeted Drug Therapies for HER2 positive breast cancer

Abstract

HER 2 positive breast cancers are the aggressive subtype of breast cancer which can be treated completely if early detected. According to the National Cancer Institute, localized or stage 1 female breast cancer patients have a relative survival rate of 99% and they can survive for more than 5 years after diagnosis but only 63.1% cases are diagnosed at this stage. In later stages when it's diagnosed, the relative survival rate becomes 29%. The overexpression of HER2 proteins can be detected by early diagnosis and screening through advanced technologies like 3D mammography, Positron Emission Mammography, Molecular breast imaging, Contrast-enhanced mammography. The specific diagnosis can be done by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for confirmation of this type of breast cancer. Biomarkers such as Her2 heterogenicity, Her2 expression, Her2 mutations, Hormone receptor (ER positivity, PR positivity), PIK3CA mutation, PTEN, PD-L1, TIL, BRCA, miRNA can be used for detection of breast cancer. With successful early detection, which will be used to diagnose early and start the treatment as early as possible. Recently FDA has approved various individual and combination medications for treating the HER2 positive breast cancer and there are further research studies and clinical trials are going on to get more impactful treatment for providing complete cure of the deadly disease.