title: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive breast cancer: Current management of early, advanced, and recurrent disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review describes the current treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer with a focus on recently reported clinical trials.Treatment of resistant disease and central nervous system metastases will be reviewed as will new agents that are being developed to target HER2-amplified breast cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent studies evaluating trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer have shown a benefit of continuing trastuzumab with chemotherapy or with another HER2-targeted agent.Targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor, mammalian target of rapamycin, and PI3 kinase pathways in addition to HER2 may enhance efficacy compared with individual agents. Several novel anti-HER2 compounds are being evaluated with promising early data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HER2-positive breast cancer has traditionally been associated with poor prognosis.However, treatment with HER2-targeted therapies has changed the natural history of this disease. Greater success depends on elucidating mechanisms of resistance and exploring new methods of blocking signal transduction via HER2 and related pathways.
authors.affiliation: University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles,California, USA.
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hurvitz
mesh_terms: D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077341:Lapatinib; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077341:Lapatinib; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011799:Quinazolines; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human