HER2-amplified colorectal cancer
Prepared with OnCo (onco.cc/prep/her2-amplified-colorectal/). Orientation, not medical advice; your team knows your case.
My details
What I know, what is unclear, changes to discuss
Saved in this browserMy questions
18 on the sheet- 1.What is my exact diagnosis, stage, and grade, and which tests established them?
- 2.Which biomarkers have been tested on my tumour (for example HER2 immunohistochemistry 3+, or 2+ with in situ hybridisation amplification, ERBB2 copy number on tumour or circulating tumour DNA sequencing, RAS and BRAF wild-type status, Left-sided or rectal primary), and what were the results?
- 3.Which subtype is my cancer, and does that change the recommended treatment?
- 4.Is germline (inherited) genetic testing recommended for me or my family?
- 5.For my situation (metastatic, ras wild-type, previously treated), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
- 6.Am I a candidate for Tucatinib, Trastuzumab, Pertuzumab, and what side effects should I expect?
- 7.How do the results of MOUNTAINEER & MOUNTAINEER-03 apply to someone like me?
- 8.For my situation (after her2 antibodies, or with ras mutation), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
- 9.Am I a candidate for Trastuzumab deruxtecan, and what side effects should I expect?
- 10.How do the results of DESTINY-CRC02 apply to someone like me?
- 11.For my situation (metastatic, first line), which of the standard options do you recommend and why?
- 12.Am I a candidate for FOLFOX (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin), FOLFIRI (5-FU, leucovorin, irinotecan), Bevacizumab, and what side effects should I expect?
- 13.How do the results of A Study of Tucatinib With Trastuzumab and mFOLFOX6 Versus Standard of Care Treatment in First-line HER2+ Metastatic Colorectal Cancer apply to someone like me?
- 14.Are there clinical trials I could join, for example of A Study of Tucatinib With Trastuzumab and mFOLFOX6 Versus Standard of Care Treatment in First-line HER2+ Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Zanidatamab, A Phase 2 Study of Zanidatamab in Patients With HER2-expressing Tumors, TL938 and Trastuzumab for Patients With HER2-positive Metastatic Colorectal Cancer?
- 15.Would a second opinion at a high-volume centre change anything, and can you help arrange it?
- 16.What supportive care (symptom control, nutrition, exercise, mental health, financial help) is available from the start?
- 17.I read that “No randomised evidence yet for HER2 blockade in first line”. How does that affect my plan?
- 18.I read that “RAS co-mutation blunts dual HER2 blockade and the best option for those patients is unclear”. How does that affect my plan?
The words I may hear
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC): Staining a tissue slice with antibodies so a protein shows up in colour under the microscope.
- Sidedness (left vs right colon): Where in the colon a tumour starts changes its biology and which drugs work.
- Tumour-agnostic (tissue-agnostic) approval: A tumour-agnostic approval lets a drug be used for any cancer carrying a specific molecular feature, regardless of where it started.
Tests and results to bring
Biomarker results to ask for: HER2 immunohistochemistry 3+, or 2+ with in situ hybridisation amplification, ERBB2 copy number on tumour or circulating tumour DNA sequencing, RAS and BRAF wild-type status (predicts response to dual HER2 blockade), Left-sided or rectal primary.
Scans and tests linked to this cancer: Histopathology & immunohistochemistry.
Bring copies of scan reports, pathology and blood results, and a list of every medicine and supplement.
The treatments I may be offered
- After HER2 antibodies, or with RAS mutation: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (DESTINY-CRC02; tumour-agnostic approval for immunohistochemistry 3+), watching for pneumonitis. (DESTINY-CRC02, Trastuzumab deruxtecan, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC))
- Metastatic, first line: Standard doublet chemotherapy with bevacizumab; anti-EGFR antibodies are less effective in HER2-amplified tumours; tucatinib-trastuzumab-FOLFOX is under test in MOUNTAINEER-03. (FOLFOX (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin), FOLFIRI (5-FU, leucovorin, irinotecan), Bevacizumab, A Study of Tucatinib With Trastuzumab and mFOLFOX6 Versus Standard of Care Treatment in First-line HER2+ Metastatic Colorectal Cancer)
- Metastatic, RAS wild-type, previously treated: Tucatinib plus trastuzumab (MOUNTAINEER); trastuzumab plus pertuzumab or lapatinib where tucatinib is unavailable. (MOUNTAINEER & MOUNTAINEER-03, Tucatinib, Trastuzumab, Pertuzumab, HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors)
From the standard of care recorded for this cancer; which apply depends on your stage and biomarkers. Ask which the team recommends and why.