Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in the United States i
n the year 2000. The proto-oncogene Her-2/neu (c-erb-B2) has become an incr
easingly important prognostic and predictive factor in breast cancer. Overe
xpression/amplification of the Her-2/neu has been associated with a worse o
utcome in patients with breast cancer. Herceptin, a "humanized" murine mono
clonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the Her-2/neu
protein, is being used to treat breast cancer that overexpresses Her-2/neu.
The status of Her-2/neu in the tumor has become a critical factor in the m
anagement strategy of a breast cancer patient. The objective of this articl
e is to provide a comprehensive review of all aspects of Her-2/neu in breas
t cancer, including biology, prognostic and predictive value, targeted Herc
eptin therapy, and the laboratory testing of Her-2/neu.