HER2—also sometimes referred to as HER-2 or Her-2/neu or erb-b2—is one of more than 100,000 genes found in the nucleus of all human cells. The HER2 gene helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. Every cell should have only two copies of the HER2 gene.
“Triple negative” is the term used to describe tumors that are ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-negative. It’s estimated that about 20% of breast tumors are triple negative.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a number of studies that have suggested a link between weight and postmenopausal cancer. So, intriguing findings from one study presented at ASCO took many of us by surprise.
Usually I come home from the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting mulling over data on new drugs or new treatment combinations that promise better outcomes. And while there are certainly a lot of new drugs in the pipeline as seen in the exhibit hall (see my AACR blog for some examples), I’m also seeing evidence that in some cases less may actually be more.