title: HER2 and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer--blocking the right target.
abstract: HER2-positive tumors have a worse prognosis than HER2-negative cancers. Although the standard treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer is chemotherapy and trastuzumab, the combination of aromatase inhibitors with anti-HER2 therapies has become an available strategy in patients with HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive tumors. However, although this new treatment option is more effective than hormone therapy alone, it has not been compared with the standard chemotherapy and trastuzumab-based regimens. In fact, the activity observed in randomized clinical trials with chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapies seems to be higher than that observed with aromatase inhibitors and trastuzumab-based or lapatinib-based therapies. In this article, we highlight the importance of considering chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy as the standard of care in HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive tumors.
authors.affiliation: Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Oncology Department, Breast Cancer Unit, Paseo Vall d'Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. jacortes@vhebron.net
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saura
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellet
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Couselo
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Merino
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D059039:Standard of Care; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D000068878:Trastuzumab