Which cancer is most commonly associated with alterations in the Her2/Neu gene?

Which cancer is most commonly associated with alterations in the Her2/Neu gene?

• A. Breast cancer
• B. Colorectal cancer
• C. Lung cancer
• D. Prostate cancer

Answer: (A)

Her2/Neu (ERBB2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase whose amplification or overexpression most characteristically occurs in breast cancer. About a fifth to a quarter of breast cancers overexpress HER2, defining a distinct, more aggressive subtype that responds to HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab and related drugs. While HER2 alterations can appear in other cancers, they are not as common or defining as in breast cancer. Therefore, breast cancer is the cancer most commonly associated with Her2/Neu alterations.

Her2/Neu (ERBB2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase whose amplification or overexpression most characteristically occurs in breast cancer. About a fifth to a quarter of breast cancers overexpress HER2, defining a distinct, more aggressive subtype that responds to HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab and related drugs. While HER2 alterations can appear in other cancers, they are not as common or defining as in breast cancer. Therefore, breast cancer is the cancer most commonly associated with Her2/Neu alterations.