The application of trastuzumab in neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Over-expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) protein is available in 20% to 25% of patients with breast cancer, and it is associated with serious aggressiveness, high recurrence rate, and increased mortality of cancer. Trastuzumab, a humanized antibody against HER-2, has shown high efficacy in breast cancer through multiple mechanisms. Currently, trastuzumab is used in adjuvant therapy for breast cancer or in metastatic settings. Trials of trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy suggest that patients with HER-2-positive breast cancer also may benefit from this neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This article reviews the efficacy and adverse effects of trastuzumab in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.