[Trastuzumab (herceptin) for the medical treatment of breast cancer].
BACKGROUND
Trastuzumab is humanized monoclonal antibody targeting her 2 neu receptor, overexpressed in 20% of breast cancers and part of the complex of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor.


OBJECTIVE
To review new advances in the knowledge of the practical use of "trastuzumab (Herceptin ®)" in breast cancer.


METHODS
Review of literature using medical data bases (Medline, Science direct) with the following key words: breast cancer, targeted therapy, HER2 neu, transtuzumab/herceptine


RESULTS
Trastuzumab represent an important advance in breast cancer treatment with an improvement of median survival in metastatic setting and overall and disease-free survival in adjuvant setting in association with chemotherapy. Herceptin remain well tolerated with a low and rare risk of cardiac failure.


CONCLUSIONS
Trastuzumab is a new therapeutic tool very interesting to ameliorate prognosis of breast cancer.
Universite Tunis, El-Manar, Tunisie.
Lamia
L
Bayoudh
Mehdi
M
Afrit
Olfa
O
Daldoul
M
M
Zarrad
Hamouda
H
Boussen
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000068878:Trastuzumab
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000068878:Trastuzumab