Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer

Abstract

The body of evidence investigating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) directed therapy in patients with breast cancer (BC) has been growing within the last decade. Recently, the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been of particular interest in the treatment of human malignancies. This literature commentary is intended to highlight the most recent findings associated with the widely-studied TKI agents and their clinical significance in improving the outcomes of HER2 positive BC.

Keywords: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors; Lapatinib; Pyrotinib; Tucatinib; Trastuzumab

Core Tip: Newly published randomized controlled trials within the past two years have provided compelling evidence on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as Lapatinib, Pyrotinib, Neratinib, Tucatinib, Ruxolitinib, and Afatinib. Several of these agents were found to offer better outcomes in terms of progression-free survival when combined with other agents. While some TKIs, namely Lapatinib, and Neratinib, are supported with a large amount of data than others, the medical literature still lacks substantial evidence to draw a clinical conclusion that could modify/add to the present recommendations in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer treatment guidelines.