CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1590497
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovative Drug Combinations for Enhanced Solid Tumor Treatment EfficacyView all 12 articles
HER2 Inhibitor-Based Combination Therapy for Recurrent and Metastatic Salivary Duct Carcinoma in an Elderly Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review
Provisionally accepted- 1zhejiangzhongyiyaodaxue, Hangzhou, China
- 2Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 3Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, hangzhou, China
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Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options, particularly in elderly patients. HER2 overexpression has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in this disease. This study reports the case of an 86-year-old male with HER2-positive submandibular gland SDC who underwent surgical resection on June 19, 2020. Six months postoperatively, follow-up revealed lymph node metastasis and local recurrence at the left submandibular region. Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation was performed, but local recurrence persisted. The patient subsequently received trastuzumab combined with low-dose nab-paclitaxel, achieving a partial response according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. Maintenance therapy with trastuzumab monotherapy was then initiated, resulting in disease stability for over 20 months. In October 2023, the disease progressed to the left sublingual region. After targeted monotherapy and local radiotherapy by April the following year, disease control was achieved. At the most recent follow-up, the patient remains in stable condition. This case highlights the efficacy and safety of HER2-targeted combination therapy in elderly SDC patients, offering valuable insights into biomarker-driven personalized treatment strategies for this population.
Keywords: HER21, Salivary duct carcinoma2, submandibular gland3, elderly patients 4, Case report5
Received: 09 Mar 2025; Accepted: 07 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Luxin, Xiaofeng, Liujie and Jiyuan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: DING Jiyuan, jiyuanding@163.com
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