HER2 Diagnostics and Therapeutic Strategies in Gastric Cancer
Summary
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase whose overexpression or gene amplification defines a distinct molecular subset of gastric cancer with implications for prognosis and treatment. Accurate assessment of HER2 status relies on immunohistochemistry to gauge protein overexpression and in situ hybridisation to confirm gene amplification. Challenges in HER2 diagnostics include intratumoral heterogeneity and variability in specimen handling, which can lead to false‐negative or false‐positive results. Efforts to standardise pre‐analytical and analytical procedures are under way, alongside the development of image‐based methods to noninvasively predict HER2 positivity. Therapeutically, trastuzumab has set the paradigm for targeted HER2 blockade in advanced disease, extending overall and progression‐free survival when added to chemotherapy. Building on this success, antibody–drug conjugates, dual HER2 inhibition, small‐molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors and combinations with immune checkpoint inhibitors are being explored to overcome primary and acquired resistance. These integrated diagnostics and therapeutic advances aim to improve patient selection, personalise treatment pathways and ultimately enhance clinical outcomes for gastric cancer worldwide.
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HER2 Diagnostics and Therapeutic Strategies in Gastric Cancer publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in her2 diagnostics and therapeutic strategies in gastric cancer across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
HER2: A receptor tyrosine kinase whose overexpression or amplification drives tumour cell proliferation.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC): A laboratory technique using antibodies to detect specific proteins in tissue sections.
Radiomics: The extraction of quantitative features from medical images to characterise tumours noninvasively.
Progression-free survival (PFS): The duration during which a patient’s disease does not worsen following treatment.
Pre-analytical phase: The steps of specimen collection, fixation and processing before laboratory analysis.
References
- Nationwide survey on HER2 and PD-L1 testing practices in gastric cancer across Japan. Gastric Cancer (2024).
- Development and external validation of a radiomics model for assessment of HER2 positivity in men and women presenting with gastric cancer. Insights into Imaging (2023).
- The Impact of Pembrolizumab as a Salvage Therapy Based on HER2 Expression in Advanced Gastric Cancer. Cancers (2024).
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