High rates of inherent resistance to treatment with the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (herceptin) are common among HER2 gene-amplified breast carcinomas in both metastatic and adjuvant settings [2]; moreover, basal/HER2+ patients have the worst disease-free and overall survival among HER2+ subtypes [3], although the molecular basis for these observations is not well understood. The gene discussed is ERBB2; the disease is breast carcinoma.