Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a major driver of disease progression, treatment resistance, and worse survival for patients with various types of cancers, including prostate cancer. However, key bench studies and clinical trials have failed to evaluate the role of HER2 in prostate cancer using racially diverse experimental designs and protocols. This lack of diversity represents what has been the status quo of cancer research in the United States for decades. In the case of prostate cancer, homogenic study designs are problematic as Black men are much more likely to be diagnosed and die from aggressive and incurable forms of the disease. Therefore, the strategic inclusion of biospecimens collected from Black patients as well as the recruitment and enrollment of Black men into prostate cancer clinical trials is necessary to comprehensively evaluate genetic and molecular factors that contribute to variable outcomes in this high-risk population. Additionally, a higher prevalence of HER2 expression in Black men was recently reported in a small cohort of prostate cancer patients and may contribute to worsened prognosis. In this review, we carefully consider the role of HER2 in prostate cancer while, for the first time, taking into account the influences of race and genetic ancestry.
人表皮生长因子受体2（HER2）是包括前列腺癌在内的多种癌症疾病进展、治疗抵抗及患者生存率降低的主要驱动因素。然而，关键的基础研究与临床试验在设计方案中未能纳入种族多样性，从而未能全面评估HER2在前列腺癌中的作用。这种多样性缺失反映了美国癌症研究数十年来的一贯现状。就前列腺癌而言，同质化研究设计存在显著缺陷，因为黑人男性被诊断出侵袭性、难治性前列腺癌并因此死亡的风险显著更高。因此，有必要在研究中战略性地纳入来自黑人患者的生物样本，并在前列腺癌临床试验中积极招募黑人受试者，以全面评估导致该高危人群预后差异的遗传与分子因素。近期一项针对小规模前列腺癌患者队列的研究显示，黑人男性中HER2表达率更高，这可能与其不良预后相关。本综述在系统探讨HER2在前列腺癌中作用的同时，首次将种族与遗传背景的影响纳入考量。
Revisiting HER2 in Prostate Cancer from an Inclusive Perspective: From Biomarkers to Omics
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家