Amplification
For registered Hong Kong doctors
OncologyHER2 Unraveled—The Vital Distinction Between Overexpression and Gene Amplification in CancerHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a crucial biomarker in contemporary cancer management. Alterations in the HER2 protein or in the protein-coding gene, erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ERBB2; hereafter referred to as HER2 in line with common practice), have significant clinical implications. Overexpression of the HER2 protein, gene amplification or activating mutations can overactivate or enhance downstream HER2 signaling pathways. Increased HER2 signaling drives key processes in tumorigenesis, including cellular transformation, survival, proliferation, and in
OncologyNavigating HER2 Testing: Unveiling the Strengths and Limitations to Optimize Biomarker AssessmentDue to the availability of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-directed therapies, testing for HER2 alterations, including overexpression, gene amplification or mutations is recommended in treatment guidelines for various tumor types, including breast cancer, gastric cancer, biliary tract cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and others.1-10
HER2 as a biomarker in cancersHuman epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is a member of the erythroblastic oncogene B (ERBB) family of transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors that also includes epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, also known as HER1), and human epidermal growth factor receptors -3 and -4 (HER3, HER4).1,2 Despite being a receptor, HER2 has no known ligand, but its conformation is similar to the ligand-activated form of other ERBB family members, favoring heterodimerization with them.1,3
