Pharmacological
therapy targeting the HER2
protein is one of the major breakthroughs in the treatment of
cancer patients overexpressing HER2 who have increased survival rates. Despite improved survival, it is important to determine the less frequent adverse effects in order to tailor treatments more personalized to the patients' features. The possible impact of
cancer treatments on cognitive functions is huge, and the effects of anti-HER 2
therapies on this issue have not been reviewed and are the objective of this study. Analysis of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and Web of Science databases revealed six studies performed in breast and serous
uterine cancer patients analyzing cognitive function under
chemotherapy regimens including anti-HER2 drugs. Four of these studies reported small to significant worsening of cognitive function following
chemotherapy regimens containing
trastuzumab (the most widely used anti-HER2
drug). In neoadjuvant settings, and in
breast cancer patients, treatment with the new anti-HER-2
drug trastuzumab emtansine seems to induce less
cognitive impairment than therapeutic regimens containing
chemotherapy and
trastuzumab. Acute administration of
trastuzumab induced
cognitive impairment in
gastric cancer mice models, confirming its ability to alter cognitive function in patients. More studies analyzing the impact of anti-HER2
therapy on cognitive function are necessary at preclinical and clinical levels in order to personalize pharmacological treatment and offer
cancer patients a better quality of life.