Herceptin Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herceptin, including details on side-effects, breast cancer, treatment, therapy.

Salivary duct carcinoma: a clinical and histologic review with implications for trastuzumab therapy.

Nabili V, Tan JW, Bhuta S, Sercarz JA, Head CS

Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 LeConte Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.

BACKGROUND: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an aggressive tumor of the head and neck with a poor prognosis. The objective was to study SDC and recommend the use of trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients seen between 1993 and 2006 was performed. Tumor specimens were examined for HER-2 protein overexpression via immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methods. RESULTS: Of the 7 patients with SDC, 57% had tumors arising in the parotid gland, the majority having facial nerve paralysis, 71% with nodal disease, and 43% having recurrence. All samples were HER-2 positive on IHC. Three patients had FISH-positive tumors, recurrent disease, and received trastuzumab therapy; 1 of the 3 died after 20 months and a second has shown disappearance of metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Trastuzumab is effective in treating HER-2-positive breast cancer. Given immunohistochemical similarities between SDC and ductal carcinoma of the breast, patients with FISH-positive HER-2/neu SDC should be considered for trastuzumab therapy.

Published 22 October 2007 in Head Neck, 29(10): 907-12.
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