[Jean]

Maybe some of this will be of some use?

Her2 breast cancer stands for
Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2
It is a gene inside the cell and carries the information for making Her2 protein. The Her2 protein is also called the Receptor and would be on the surface of normal cells. In normal cells the her2 protein sends growth signals from outside the cell to inside the cell.

In Her2 breast cancer the cells have an abnormally high number of Her2 genes per cell. This is called Her2 overexpression. Too much Her2 protein causes cancer cells to grow and divide more quickly.

Antibodies produced by our bodies immune cells, are part of the body's normal defense against abnormal cells.

Herceptin works by interfering with one of the ways in which breast cancer cells divide and grow. Herceptin blocks the process by attaching itself to the Her2 protein so that the epidermal growth factor cannot reach the breast cancer cells. This stops the cells from dividing and growing. Herceptin also works by attracting the body’s own immune cells to help destroy the cancer cells.

Herceptin on its own causes a shrinkage of the cancer in a few women and stops it growing in others. Usually however it given alongside chemotherapy drugs, particularly, taxol or taxotere.


Herceptin is designed to specifically target cancer cells and not attack normal cells. A monocolonal antibody which specifically targets HER2 proteins on breast cancer cells is proving to be an effecitve treatment for some women with HER2 positive breast cancer.