For the first time in its history, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a medication for the pre-surgical (neoadjuvant) treatment of early-stage (I, II) breast cancer.

The HER2 gene is best known for its role in breast cancer. Having this faulty gene increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. But the influence of HER2 may be far more wide-reaching.

You may have heard of HER2-positive breast cancer. You may not know that this gene can also play a role in lung cancer. And anti-HER2 medications may be useful in treating the world’s most common cancer.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to treat HER2-positive late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer. The drug has been shown to extend remission by about six months.