Dr. Han on the Importance of Risk Stratification in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Heather ​S. Han, MD, medical oncologist and research director of Breast Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the importance of risk stratification in HER2-positive breast cancer.

The field of HER2-positive breast cancer is moving toward risk stratification as a means to personalize therapy for individual patients, Han explains. Moreover, it is known that utilizing a one-size-fits-all intensive treatment approach is not beneficial for all patients.

In order to optimize therapy for patients, the field is in need of biomarkers to stratify individual risk, says Han. Currently, disease stage at presentation, including tumor size and lymph node status, is the only confirmed risk-stratifying biomarker in the space.

Other factors such as the presence of residual tumor following neoadjuvant therapy and whether the patient underwent preoperative therapy are also considered, concludes Han.