This project is sponsored by IQN Path and provided by the UK NEQAS ICC & ISH.
The results of the DESTINY-Breast 04 phase-3 clinical trial provided evidence that HER2-Low
expressing breast cancer responded to treatment using the antibody-drug conjugate. trastuzumab
deruxtecan (T-DXd) therapy [1] .
As a result of the trial’s findings, the FDA approved T-DXd for the treatment of patients with unresectable
or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer. This was followed in Europe by the approval of the drug as a
monotherapy for treating metastatic HER2-low breast cancer [2, 3] . These game-changing developments
mean that the distinction of HER2 0 from HER2 1+, which had previously had no clinical significance has
now assumed huge importance in guiding treatment options for patients with metastatic disease.
Several studies have appeared in the literature suggesting that there is a low-level of agreement
between pathologists in categorising HER2-Low cases.
The web-portal provides educational material in the form of real-life clinical cases which you can use to
train and test your own ability to assess HER2 in this critical HER2-low area.
The breast cancer samples you will have access to have been taken from a study in which 16 expert
breast pathologists rated them. See the blue shaded box below [4] . By undertaking the assessment of
the cases presented in training and assessment sets you will be able to compare your own performance
against that of the paper’s experts.
Note that your results will be confidential to you alone. User identifiable data will be used for
administrative functions on the web-portal only and will not be downloaded for any other purposes.
Successful completion will be recognised by the issuing of a certificate of achievement.
Concordance of HER2-low scoring in breast carcinoma among expert pathologists in the United
Kingdom and the republic of Ireland –on behalf of the UK national coordinating committee for breast
pathology. Zaakouk, M. et al. The Breast (2023); 70: 82 – 91
Download the open-access paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096097762300509X
You can access the portal at this link: https://pathogate.net/free-module/?eventId=faacda86-de49-4f16-be16-ca212d972750&layout=public
References
1. Modi, S., et al., Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Previously Treated HER2-Low Advanced Breast
Cancer. N Engl J Med, 2022. 387(1): p. 9-20.
2. Narayan, P., et al., FDA Approval Summary: Fam-Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-Nxki for the
Treatment of Unresectable or Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res, 2021.
27(16): p. 4478-4485.
3. EMA. European Medicines Agency. Enhertu: Authorisation details. 2021 [cited 2024 19/08/2024];
Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/enhertu#authorisation-
details.
4. Zaakouk, M., et al., Concordance of HER2-low scoring in breast carcinoma among expert
pathologists in the United Kingdom and the republic of Ireland -on behalf of the UK national
coordinating committee for breast pathology. Breast, 2023. 70: p. 82-91.