Estrogen/HER2 receptor crosstalk in breast cancer: combination therapies to improve outcomes for patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-positive breast cancer

• Published in: NPJ breast cancer Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 45
• Main Authors: Pegram, Mark, Jackisch, Christian, Johnston, Stephen R. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 31.05.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/4028/67/1347; 692/4028/67/1857; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Cancer Research; Cancer therapies; Cell Biology; Cell growth; Chemotherapy; Clinical trials; Epidermal growth factor; Estrogens; Gene amplification; Human Genetics; Kinases; Ligands; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Mortality; Oncology; Protein expression; Proteins; Review; Review Article; Signal transduction; Tumors
• ISSN: 2374-4677; 2374-4677
• DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00533-2

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in 13–22% of breast cancers (BC). Approximately 60–70% of HER2+ BC co-express hormone receptors (HRs). HR/HER2 co-expression modulates response to both anti-HER2–directed and endocrine therapy due to “crosstalk” between the estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 pathways. Combined HER2/ER blockade may be an effective treatment strategy for patients with HR+/HER2+ BC in the appropriate clinical setting(s). In this review, we provide an overview of crosstalk between the ER and HER2 pathways, summarize data from recently published and ongoing clinical trials, and discuss clinical implications for targeted treatment of HR+/HER2+ BC.