Xiao X, Wang QW, Zhou ZY, Wang LS, Huang P. Precision treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-amplified advanced rectal cancer: A case report. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(4): 102690 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i4.102690]
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Xia Xiao, Pei Huang, Department of Oncology, Wuxi No. 2 People’s Hospital, Jiangnan University Medical Center, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China
Qing-Wen Wang, Zheng-Yang Zhou, Lei-Sheng Wang, Wuxi Medical College, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Xia Xiao and Qing-Wen Wang.
Co-corresponding authors: Lei-Sheng Wang and Pei Huang.
Author contributions: Xiao X and Wang QW collected the patient data and drafted the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Zhou ZY, Wang LS, and Huang P revised the manuscript; Wang LS and Huang P contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all the authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission Personnel Talent Project, No. R2017005.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient to publish this report and any accompanying images. This case has been approved by the patient.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Received: October 28, 2024 Revised: January 23, 2025 Accepted: February 17, 2025 Published online: April 15, 2025 Processing time: 151 Days and 4.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Although targeted therapy provides survival benefits for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, some patients develop resistance to these treatments. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in a subset of patients with colorectal cancer and has been established as a therapeutic target.
CASE SUMMARY
This case report describes a Chinese patient with HER2-amplified advanced rectal cancer who showed no response to chemotherapy and targeted therapies against epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor but achieved a remarkable response following treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with pyrotinib. The combination of oxaliplatin and ICIs with pyrotinib demonstrates synergistic effects after late-stage disease progression.
CONCLUSION
ICIs and pyrotinib may be effective in treating HER2-amplified advanced rectal cancer. Chemotherapy following disease progression could enhance efficacy synergistically.
Core Tip: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-amplified advanced rectal cancer was unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy in a Chinese patient. This study demonstrated the synergistic effect of combining an immune checkpoint inhibitor with pyrotinib, providing a new treatment strategy for patients with advanced rectal cancer. Following treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in combination with pyrotinib, the patient achieved significant therapeutic effects as evidenced by a marked reduction in tumour size.
