Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Despite decades of research, challenges, such as tumour heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and disease recurrence continue to limit therapeutic success.

A team of scientists from King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia), King Saud University (Saudi Arabia), and IUBAT (Bangladesh) has published a comprehensive review entitled “Breast Cancer: Molecular Pathogenesis and Targeted Therapy” in MedComm.

The article summarises recent discoveries in breast cancer biology and examines the potential of targeted therapies and molecularly guided treatment approaches.

“This review integrates the latest insights into the signalling pathways—such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, HER2, Wnt/β-catenin, and JAK/STAT3—that drive breast cancer growth and drug resistance,” said Prof. Shams Tabrez, corresponding author from King Abdulaziz University.

“By understanding these molecular mechanisms, we can design more precise and effective treatments for different breast cancer subtypes.” The authors discuss a broad range of therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, and immunotherapies.

This review highlights how liquid biopsy, patient-derived organoids, and AI-based drug discovery, are enabling personalised and adaptive treatment strategies.

The review also covers ongoing challenges, especially in treating triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers, where therapy resistance remains a significant hurdle.

The authors stress the importance of targeting tumour microenvironment interactions and intratumoural heterogeneity to boost long-term treatment effectiveness.

Source: Sichuan International Medical Exchange and Promotion Association