We review the literature on nasopharyngeal carcinoma that has been publish ed within the pa st 5 years. Na sopharyngeal carcinoma is a highl y morbid dis ease, and survival ispoor: Its managem ent remains extreme ly diffi cult, not just f or otolaryngo log ists but fo r radiation onco logists andmedical onco log ists, as well. A clear understanding ofits etiology is still lacking, but nasoph aryngeal carcinoma is wide ly suspected to be the result of both a ge ne tic sus ceptibility and exposure to enviro nmentalfactors or Epstein-Barr virus infection. With no clear cause, trea tme nt is controversial. For examp le, an opt ima l rad iation regim en has not been determ ined, rep ort s in the litera ture regarding the role of chemotherapy fo r advan ced disease are confl icting, and treatment oflocal recurrences is unsettled. Still, advan ces in immunologi c research and chemo therapy offer hopefo r bette r control ofthe disease. We hop e that our assess ment ofthe recent literature will provide otolaryngologists with a more cle ar understanding of the etiology and mana gement of nas ophar yngeal carcinoma. From the Departme nt of Oto laryngo logy, Un iversity of Rochester (N.Y.

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Trastuzumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the extra-cellular domain of the HER2 receptor. It was approved by the FDA in September 1998 as the first targeted therapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, and has since led to significant improvements in the overall prognosis for patients with HER2-positive metastatic disease. The favourable benefit/risk profile associated with palliative trastuzumab has been demonstrated in a number of clinical trials that examined trastusumab as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and other HER2 targeted agents. The clinical benefits of trastuzumab, however should also be examined within the context of its significant drug acquisition costs. This review highlights the significant findings from the landmark clinical trials of trastuzumab for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, and the potential “value for money” associated with its use in clinical practice.

NCT01111604.