Making Sense of the Evolving Standards of Care for Advanced HER2+ Breast Cancer Overview

Overexpression or amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is present in approximately 15 percent to 20 percent of patients with metastatic breast cancer. First-line therapy with anti-HER2 targeted agents have significantly improved outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Nevertheless, most of these patients eventually relapse.

Several novel therapies have recently become available for patients who have progressed following first-line and second-line anti-HER2 targeted therapies. As the number of these therapies increases, so too does the challenge for providers to keep current on the latest clinical advances.

For one thing, while anti-HER2 targeted agents have unarguably improved outcomes, they also require providers to closely monitor and manage potential treatment-related adverse events. But because many community practitioners treat a wide range of tumor types, they often find it challenging to stay up to date with recent safety and efficacy data for targeted therapies. In previous ACCC educational programs, community oncology practitioners have said that keeping current with clinical advances is a primary barrier to implementing best practices in managing patients being treated by targeted therapies.

This project enabled a series of meaningful small-group interactions among clinicians involved in the care of breast cancer patients that —through a variety of collaborative educational experiences—helped them optimally manage patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who have received prior anti-HER2 targeted therapies. 

The small group curriculum helped clinicians involved in the care of breast cancer patients gain a better understanding of:

1. optimal treatment selection and sequencing strategies,
2. the integration of new therapies into practice, and
3. consensus-aligned management of treatment-related adverse events of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. 

Armed with this new knowledge, participants should be better able to: 

• Help improve outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who have received prior treatment with anti-HER2 targeted therapies 
• Identify and evaluate solutions for improving care coordination within the cancer care team to monitor and manage treatment-related adverse events in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer receiving novel targeted therapies 
• Identify and review strategies to improve treatment adherence in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer by engaging them in shared decision-making 

For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.