Strategies to Combat Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Resistance in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

The discovery of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and its role in breast cancer led to the development of the first targeted antibody treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. This treatment breakthrough led to remarkable improvements in both early and late survival. Unfortunately, not all patients with HER2 breast cancer responded positively; some have innate resistance to treatment and others develop resistance over time. In this review, we discuss some research that is currently underway to understand HER2 resistance and strategies in overcoming it.