Comparative evaluation of targeted therapies in HER2-positive breast cancer

Abstract

Approximately 15% to 20% of breast cancer is HER2-positive, and such breast cancer is characterized by rapid development of cancer as well as poor prognosis in case they are not treated. Treatment of this type has been much better with the development of the HER2-targeted therapies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor, dual HER2 and antibody-drug conjugate significantly enhanced the therapy efficacy following trastuzumab, the initial monoclonal antibody directed at HER2, and established a new standard of care. This review evaluates the therapy choices that are best available through a comparison of their mechanisms, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles. PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were used to search relevant research published between 2001 and 2024. Newer drugs, especially antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab deruxtecan are more promising, especially in patients who are more advanced and have received previous therapy. Trastuzumab is the most significant treatment option, and such drugs have different safety profiles, such as Hematologic and pulmonary toxicity in ADCs, gastrointestinal toxicity in TKIs, and cardiotoxicity that allow achieving the best outcome.