Overcoming Treatment Challenges in Advanced Breast Cancer
Objectives
To describe new clinical findings, efficacy, and safety regarding the use of targeted agents in the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
Data Sources
Published research articles, abstracts, and clinical experience.
Conclusion
HER2-positive cases of breast cancer tend to be more aggressive and more likely to become resistant to therapy than HER2-negative tumors. The current standard approach to patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer includes the use of trastuzumab. Because cellular mechanisms can arise that can block the efficacy of this approach (and result in clinical resistance), recent research has led to the development of lapatinib, a targeted therapy that can act on HER2 inside the cell to disrupt the signaling pathways thought to be part of tumorigenic mechanisms.
Implications for Nursing Practice
Oncology nurses should be aware of the treatment strategies for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and its limitations, which is essential for providing optimal nursing care.
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The development of this article was based on a presentation given by C. Geyer at the 2006 Oncology Nursing Society's 7th Annual Institutes of Learning; Dr Geyer received an honorarium through an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.
PII: S0749-2081(07)00090-3
doi:10.1016/j.soncn.2007.10.003
© 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
