Addressing Residual Disease in HER2-Positive and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: What Is Next?

• Published in: Current oncology reports Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 336 - 345
• Main Authors: Schlam, Ilana, Dower, Joshua, Lynce, Filipa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Epidermal growth factor; ErbB-2 protein; Immunotherapy; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mortality; Oncology; Patients; Pembrolizumab; Review; Surgery; Topical Collection on Breast Cancer; Trastuzumab; Tumors; Neoadjuvant therapy; Pembrolizumab; Capecitabine; Breast cancer; Olaparib; T-DM1; Adjuvant therapy
• ISSN: 1523-3790; 1534-6269
• DOI: 10.1007/s11912-024-01501-0

Purpose of review To summarize the treatment strategies for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive disease and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have residual disease after preoperative systemic therapy. Recent findings There has been a shift towards neoadjuvant systemic therapy for selected patients with HER2-positive and TNBC. Assessing the tumor’s response to therapy provides prognostic information and allows individualization of the postoperative treatment for these patients based on the tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy. Patients with TNBC with residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy can be treated with pembrolizumab, capecitabine, or olaparib. Those with HER2-positive disease are treated with adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine. Summary The treatment of early breast cancer has evolved significantly, and patient outcomes continue to improve. As better treatments are developed, we will need biomarkers to determine which patients may benefit from certain therapies to continue to improve outcomes by right-sizing treatments and limiting toxicities.