Herceptin for malignant salivary gland tumors – pro
Herceptin for malignant salivary gland carcinomas that express HER2/Neu is supported by literature. This is a rare cancer but there is significant support from case reports. A prospective study is unlikely because of the rarity of this cancer. and there are no studies of effectiveness of this drug for his diagnosis.
Firwana et al reviewd the literature in 2014. She found 4 reported cases over-expressed Her2/neu oncogene in different subtypes of salivary gland tumor, showed durable responses to trastuzumab in combination with standard chemotherapy, and were continued on trastuzumab as a maintenance therapy. The review in a Syrian journal concluded: “Her2/neu oncogene expression should be evaluated in metastatic or locally advanced non-resectable salivary gland carcinomas; and if positive, trastuzumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy should be considered for the initial therapy in those patients, as well as for maintenance therapy.” Limayer in teh AMerican journla Oncologist also recommended it: “Although the results below are from a small cohort of patients, treatment with trastuzumab correlated well with long-term survival and response to therapy. The unique application of this treatment in the adjuvant and palliative setting is practice changing and could have direct clinical implications.”
Belal Firwana,et al, Trastuzumab for Her2/neu-positive metastatic salivary gland carcinoma: Case report and review of the literature.Avicenna J Med. 2012 Jul-Sep; 2(3): 7173.
Sewanti A. Limaye et al, Trastuzumab for the Treatment of Salivary Duct Carcinoma. Oncologist. 2013 Mar; 18(3): 294300.