HER2

1. 본문

HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is a protein involved in normal cell growth. It's also called HER2/neu and c-erbB-2. The ERBB2 gene encodes this protein, which resides in cell membranes.

Here's a breakdown of key aspects of HER2:

• Function: HER2 is a membrane tyrosine kinase. It plays a role in cell growth, division, and repair.
• In Cancer: Some cancer cells, particularly in breast, stomach, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, and pancreatic cancers, produce excessive amounts of HER2. This overproduction can cause cancer cells to grow and spread more rapidly.
• HER2-Positive Cancers: Cancers with higher-than-normal HER2 levels are termed "HER2-positive". These cancers tend to be more aggressive than HER2-negative cancers. About 15%-20% of breast cancers are HER2-positive.
• Testing: Invasive breast cancers are tested for HER2 to determine if they are HER2-positive, which influences treatment. Tumor marker tests analyze substances made by cancer or normal cells in response to cancer.
• Treatment: HER2-positive cancers are more likely to respond to treatments that specifically target the HER2 protein.
• Gene Amplification: In some cancers extra copies of the HER2 gene can lead to an overproduction of the HER2 protein.