Current approaches to the treatment of HER2‑positive breast cancer with brain metastases

Abstract

The article discusses modern approaches in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) with brain metastases (BM).The patients are subject to multidisciplinary, comprehensive and biologically – oriented treatment, with the involvement of a neurosurgeon and a radiation therapist to make a decision considering local treatment of BM, as well as a clinical oncologist to choose systemic drug therapy. Local treatment of HER2+ BC with BM patients includes surgical treatment and/or radiotherapy. Use of targeted anti-HER2 therapy changes “biology” of the disease from aggressive to indolent.In the prospective KAMILLA trial, clinically significant antitumor activity of trastuzumab emtansine was found for the first time both in patients with HER2+ BC with BM, who were previously treated with radiotherapy, and without radiotherapy in the anamnesis, which suggests the validity of further use of trastuzumab emtansine in this category of patients.The antitumor activity of trastuzumab emtansine in patients with HER2+ BC with BM was also confirmed in preclinical models. Despite the similar drug distribution in the tissues, trastuzumab emtansine, in contrast to trastuzumab, significantly slowed the growth of metastases, causing the induction of apoptosis in HER2+ BC models with BM in mice.

Surface plasmon resonance biosensor for exosome detection based on reformative tyramine signal amplification activated by molecular aptamer beacon

“…Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer that causes female deaths worldwide [ 1 , 2 ]. In the diagnosis and treatment process of breast cancer, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is an important prognostic indicator and predictor of HER2-targeted drugs [ 3 , 4 ]. Currently, the routine methods for HER2 analysis mainly include immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, but these methods have several shortcomings, such as the uncertainty of the results, the high false-positive rates, and the excessively harsh requirements for specimens, etc.…”