HER2 testing in breast cancer: advantages and disadvantages of methods alternative to fluorescence in situ hybridization

摘要

Background. Normal glandular breast cells usually present two/four copies of the HER2 gene depending on the cell cycle phase whereas human breast cancer (BC) shows HER2 overexpression/amplification in about 15%-20% of cases . In 2000, the introduction of trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech), the recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody (MoAb) directed against HER2, into the metastatic setting and more recently in the (neo)adjuvant setting, has completely changed the natural history of HER2 positive BC patients both in terms of time to recurrence and survival.