Diagnostic and therapeutic advances for HER2-expressing or amplified gynecologic cancers

Abstract

HER2-targeting therapies are well-described in breast, gastric, and lung cancers, however accumulating data supports a role for HER2-targeted therapies in gynecologic cancers. Despite varied methodologies for HER2 testing, evidence supports that a substantial proportion of endometrial, ovarian, cervical, and vulvar cancers overexpress HER2. This underscores the rationale for HER2-targeted therapies in these malignancies, including the use of HER2-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and immune-stimulating antibody conjugates. Understanding mechanisms of resistance to HER2-targeted therapies will inform possible combinatorial strategies.