Which medication is used to target HER2/neu-positive breast cancer?

Trastuzumab is a targeted therapy specifically designed to treat breast cancers that overexpress the HER2/neu protein. HER2 is a member of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family and is involved in cell growth and differentiation. In approximately 20-25% of breast cancers, HER2 is overexpressed, leading to more aggressive disease and a poorer prognosis.

By binding to the HER2 receptor, trastuzumab inhibits the proliferation of cells that overexpress this receptor. It also marks these cancer cells for destruction by the immune system and can potentiate the effects of other chemotherapeutic agents when used in combination. This targeted approach has been shown to significantly improve outcomes in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer compared to traditional chemotherapy alone.

In contrast, medications like tamoxifen and letrozole are primarily used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers that express estrogen receptors and target hormonal pathways, not HER2. Fomepizole, on the other hand, is an antidote for methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning and has no relevance in the treatment of breast cancer. Thus, trastuzumab remains the cornerstone of therapy for HER2/neu-positive breast cancer, highlighting its significance in targeted cancer therapy.