Don’t ignore HER2 gene test for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment

  Recently, Professor Tang Jinhai, a renowned breast surgeon and president of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, who attended the 3rd National Breast Cancer Forum (Nanjing) and the National Study Course on Standardized Comprehensive Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, pointed out that breast cancer patients should undergo HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor-2) gene testing as early as possible once diagnosed, which can help identify the type and status of breast cancer and facilitate the determination of highly targeted treatment plans. prolong the survival time of the corresponding breast cancer patients.  According to the report, the incidence of breast cancer in China has continued to rise in recent years, but the mortality rate of breast cancer has started to show a decreasing trend, which is closely related to the application of new clinical theories and technologies, early diagnosis, early treatment, standardized and individualized treatment of breast cancer. For example, early diagnosis, breast screening can reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer in women over 50 years old, while early standardized and comprehensive treatment and individualized diagnosis and treatment are crucial.  Professor Tang Jinhai pointed out that about 20% to 25% of breast cancer patients belong to HER2 gene overexpression. Compared with other breast cancer patients, this type of breast cancer is more prone to recurrence and metastasis, has a shorter average survival period and is less sensitive to some conventional therapeutic drugs. A national survey of 5480 oncology patients reported that 43 out of 100 breast cancer patients were not tested for HER2, and these patients would lose the best time for treatment. It is now internationally accepted that targeted treatment of patients with early-stage HER2 overexpression breast cancer for 1 year can reduce the risk of death by 1/3 and the risk of recurrence and metastasis by almost 1/2. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to perform HER2 genetic testing and apply targeted HER2 molecularly targeted drug therapy to breast cancer patients as early as possible.