Trastuzumab deruxtecan neoadjuvant therapy for high-risk HER2-positive early stage breast cancer

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is in clinical development for the neoadjuvant treatment of high-risk HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer. Breast cancer is when abnormal cells in the breast begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way and eventually form a growth (tumour). Breast cancer that has not spread beyond the breast or the axillary lymph nodes is known as early-stage. There are different subtypes of breast cancer. Among them, is HER2-positive disease, characterised by overexpression of HER2, a receptor protein associated with a more aggressive form of the disease. Neoadjuvant therapy refers to any treatment that is given for cancer before surgery. There are limited neoadjuvant treatment options for patients with early stage HER2-postitive breast cancer and patients often relapse. Therefore, there is need for more effective therapies.