title: HER2/neu in Endometrial Cancer: A Promising Therapeutic Target With Diagnostic Challenges.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the era of targeted cancer therapy, there is growing interest in developing novel therapeutic strategies against endometrial carcinoma, especially its most biologically aggressive variant, serous adenocarcinoma. Several publications have demonstrated that a significant proportion of uterine serous carcinomas show HER2 overexpression and/or amplification, suggesting that HER2 may be a promising therapeutic target. Case reports have already shown clinical response to trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 antibody against HER2, and patients are currently being enrolled in a multi-institutional prospective randomized trial to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of trastuzumab.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review current data on HER2 testing and targeted therapy against HER2/neu in endometrial carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of the literature and personal experience of the authors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parallel to the clinical studies, there is a need to develop standardized criteria for HER2 testing in endometrial carcinoma that reflect the unique biological and pathogenetic features of these tumors and correlate with clinical response to therapy. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current state of HER2-based therapy and HER2 testing in endometrial carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Pathology (Dr Buza) and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (Drs Roque and Santin), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and the Gynecologic Oncology Program, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut (Dr Santin).
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buza
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Roque
authors.forename: Alessandro D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Santin
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases