A review on basic research and clinical application regarding EGFR-targeted therapy in triple-negative breast cancer

Background and aim: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to absent estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as the lack of HER2 overexpression, representing a heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. Increased expression has been seen in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in TNBCs, suggesting a therapeutic target. The highly variable of mutations and changes in the copy number of EGFR gene have encouraged the researchers to find their prognostic significance in the TNBC.Materials and methods :The search strategy was to find the corresponding articles in English was on PubMed database using the main keywords, including triple-negative breast cancer, EGFR, EGFR-targeted, EGFR pathway inhibitors and drug development.Results: There are numerous clinical trials investigating the patients with TNBC by an EGFR antibody (cetuximab) and EGFR pathway inhibitors (lapatinib and gefitinib). Only a few patients with TNBC have shown a response to the EGFR-targeted therapy. Appropriate toxicity has been recorded for the EGFR targeted mAbs in phase 2 trials as combination treatment with chemotherapy, but not significant activity in unselected TNBCs. Accordingly, the current efforts have been directed towards the development of EGFR-targeted drugs and companion diagnostics with predictive value for the patients with TNBC.Conclusion: Useful and successful outcomes might be achieved by additional prospective trials by detecting EGFR amplification or activating mutations. Our review after exploring the findings on biological background of the EGFR pathway in the TNBC recommended rational future strategies for therapies under study regarding the TNBC.

Keywords:

Triple-negative breast cancer , EGFR , EGFR-targeted , EGFR pathway inhibitors , drug development.