HER2 as a Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Cet article passe en revue les travaux récents sur l'intérêt des inhibiteurs de HER2 pour le traitement des patients atteints d'un carcinome épidermoïde de la tête et du cou
The majority of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) present with advanced-stage disease. Current standard of care is surgery followed by adjuvant radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy or chemoradiation alone. The addition of cetuximab for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic HNSCC has improved overall survival and locoregional control; however, responses are often modest, and treatment resistance is common. A variety of therapeutic strategies are being explored to overcome cetuximab resistance by blocking candidate proteins implicated in resistance mechanisms such as HER2. Several HER2 inhibitors are in clinical development for HNSCC, and HER2-targeted therapy has been approved for several cancers. This review focuses on the biology of HER2, its role in cancer development, and the rationale for clinical investigation of HER2 targeting in HNSCC.