Question

Particular receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that promote excessive cell division are found at high levels on various cancer cells. A protein, Herceptin, has been found to bind to an RTK known as HER2. HER2 is sometimes excessive in cancer cells. This information can now be utilized in breast cancer treatment if which of the following is true?If the patient's cancer cells have excessive levels of HER2. T/F

Answer 1

Answer:

True

Explanation:

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases are specialised receptors that are found to be present in the body which are receives signals that crucial to cell growth in the body.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases also play an important role in breast cancer by allowing the cancerous cells found in the breast to multiply excessively and spread to other parts of the body.

We have drugs know as Tyrosine Kinases inhibitors that are taken by breast cancer patients as a form of target therapy which decreases the cancerous cells found in the breast without affecting other important cells in the body.

Herceptin is an example of Tyrosine Kinases Inhibitors that are used by breast cancer patients. Herceptin joins itself to the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) which is a type of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases which are found at the top of breast cancer cells.

Herceptin blocks the growth signal the breast cancer cells receives thereby reducing and stopping its growth. Herceptin is quite effective against early stage cancer, it minimizes the risk of reoccurrence and can put an advanced metastatic breast cancer which has an excessive amount of HER2 present inside the cancerous cells in remission.