Is Her2 of value in identifying patients who particularly benefit from anthracyclines during adjuvant therapy? A qualified yes.

Data from several large adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy trials suggest that anthracycline-based chemotherapies relative to non-anthracycline-based adjuvant therapies are particularly effective in patients whose tumors overexpress Her2. Most trials show some evidence of this effect, but the interaction generally has not been confirmed statistically, perhaps because the trials are underpowered. In addition, there have been a multiplicity of Her2 immunohistochemistry techniques used in these studies, which are clearly not of equivalent utility in detecting this effect. Thus, while there is good evidence that further work in this area will be of value, at this time the results are inconclusive and not ready for clinical application.