[Clinical applications of trastuzumab in the management of HER-2-positive breast cancer.]

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 is a member of human epidermal growth factor receptors, overexpressed or amplified in nearly 20% of breast cancer cases. HER2 overexpression is associated with a more aggressive disease phenotype, with progression-free and overall survival rates worse than patients who were HER2-negative. Trastuzumab was the first HER2-targeted agent introduced in breast cancer and its introduction led to a change of the...