The use of trastuzumab in breast cancer therapy

Abstract

Objective: Approach through a narrative review the use of trastuzumab in the treatment of patients diagnosed with HER-2 positive breast cancer. Bibliography review: The search for more selective cancer treatments led to the development of monoclonal antibodies, considered capable of promoting a treatment that only targets tumor cells, generating in response, fewer adverse effects to the patient and increased survival. Trastuzumab, considered a humanized monoclonal antibody produced by transplantation of the mouse complementarity determining region (CDRs) into the variable regions of the human antibody, has shown applicability in the pathology of HER2 positive breast cancer, and in conjunction with adjuvant chemotherapy, demonstrates an improvement in patient survival, significantly reducing the risk of metastases and lowering the incidence of severe symptomatic congestive heart disease. However, its use must be monitored daily and any situation of cardiotoxicity presented by patients must trigger the discontinuation of therapy immediately. Final considerations: As a treatment considered as a target therapy, focused on HER-2 positive, the use of transtuzumab has a better safety profile, being less aggressive to the patient compared to commonly used treatments.