Therapeutic Strategies In Targeted Therapies In Breast Cancer

This new volume updates the reader on selected areas of targeted therapy in breast cancer, with special emphasis on chemoprevention strategies, drug resistance, biomarkers, combination chemotherapy, angiogenesis inhibition and pharmacogenomics in the context of clinical efficacy. This selected review of targeted therapies will guide the reader on effective treatment as part of an integrated programme of patient management.

This new volume updates the reader on selected areas of targeted therapy in breast cancer, with special emphasis on chemoprevention strategies, drug resistance, biomarkers, combination chemotherapy, angiogenesis inhibition and pharmacogenomics in the context of clinical efficacy. This selected review of targeted therapies will guide the reader on effective treatment as part of an integrated programme of patient management.

The development of monoclonal antibodies and other inhibitors of specific molecules, fully utilizing the insights learned from molecular techniques such as comparative microarrays and protein expression patterns, has led to the development and FDA approval of several agents for the treatment of breast cancer, such as trastuzamab (Herceptin, targeting HER-2 positive tumors) and lapatinib (Tykerb, targeting tumors with mutated/overexpressed EGFR 1 and 2). Other agents specifically targeting the estrogen receptor, the aromatose pathway and microtubule dynamics, fulvestrant (Faslodex, targeting the ER specifically in breast cancer cells), and letrozole (Femara, targeting the aromatose pathway), raloxifene (Evista, a selective estrogen receptor modulator), ixabepilone (Ixempra, a ?-tubulin inhibitor) have also been approved for various stages and specific settings in breast cancer treatment. The current challenges in the field include further targeting of these agents as part of specific strategies for each patient (biomarker testing, pharmacogenetics, etc.), as well as follow-up and management of adverse events. Part of the Oxford American Pocket Notes series, this volume provides clinicians with the ultra-concise, evidence-based, current information and insight on implementing the latest treatment strategies, including targeted agents, into clinical practice. This portable volume is intended to provide quick, easily accessible guidance for the practicing oncologist, oncology care staff (including nurses and PAs) as well as the primary care practitioner, on the mechanism of action, dosing and administration and adverse effects of the approved targeted agents.

Treatment strategies for breast cancer are wide-ranging and often based on a multi-modality approach, depending on the stage and biology of the tumour and the acceptance and tolerance of the patient. They may include surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy (endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy). Advances in technologies such as oncoplastic surgery, radiation planning and delivery, and genomics, and the development of novel systemic therapy agents alongside their evaluation in ongoing clinical trials continue to strive for improvements in outcomes. In this Special Issue, we publish a collection of studies looking at all forms of therapeutic strategies for early and advanced breast cancer, focusing on their outcomes, notably survival.

Adjuvant treatment is administered prior to or as follow up to surgical procedures for breast cancer. Proven success in using medical therapies allowing for breast conserving procedures or reducing risk of occurrence. Although there has been much progress towards a cure, including the introduction of new targeted therapies, metastasizing cancer remains highly incurable.

Make optimal use of the latest personalized therapeutic strategies with Handbook of Targeted Cancer Therapy! This concise, practical oncology reference examines more than 140 targeted therapy agents for which clinical trial data are available, and explains when and how you can use them to most effectively combat cancer. Approach clinical challenges from any direction with separate sections on Targets by Organ Site, Carcinogenesis from the Perspective of Targeted Therapy, Molecular Targets and Pathways, and Targeted Therapy Agents. Find information easily thanks to a color-coded format and an intuitive organization. Access the complete contents online and on mobile devices, with regular updates to include newly approved treatments. Important state of the art cancer information for caregivers, researchers, other health care professionals, and even patients

Treatment strategies for breast cancer are wide-ranging and often based on a multi-modality approach, depending on the stage and biology of the tumour and the acceptance and tolerance of the patient. They may include surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy (endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy). Advances in technologies such as oncoplastic surgery, radiation planning and delivery, and genomics, and the development of novel systemic therapy agents alongside their evaluation in ongoing clinical trials continue to strive for improvements in outcomes. In this Special Issue, we publish a collection of studies looking at all forms of therapeutic strategies for early and advanced breast cancer, focusing on their outcomes, notably survival.

Basic scientific background Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer and the most frequent cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Currently, subtyping breast cancers into hormone receptor (HR) positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 overexpressing (HER2+), and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the basis of diagnosing and treating this disease. The main treatment strategies for breast cancer include surgery, endocrine therapy, molecular targeted therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy. However, resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents, molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapy may occur either intrinsically or de nova, and is often ultimately responsible for treatment failure. Therefore, drug resistance poses a major challenge to breast cancer treatment. Current developments: Drug resistance in breast cancer is a complex clinical condition originating from a wide range of molecular alterations. The development of endocrine therapy resistance is believed to be associated with many cellular changes, such as ESR1 gene mutations, bypassing estrogen signaling pathway and altered tamoxifen metabolism. Meanwhile, changes in immune response, alternation of drug-binding property and downstream pathways are involved in the mechanisms of drug resistance in HER2+ breast cancer. In addition, resistance to chemotherapeutic agents predominantly arises from increased drug efflux and cross resistance. Current studies suggest that treatment strategies and therapeutics have to be designed specifically to each patient in different clinical situations. The use of modern genomic, proteomic and functional analytical techniques has contributed to identify novel genes and signaling networks involved in breast cancer drug resistance. Moreover, the use of high-throughput techniques in combination with bioinformatics and systems biology approaches has aided the interrogation of clinical samples and allowed the identification of molecular signatures and genotypes that predict responses to certain drugs. Despite much progress has been made in the field of breast cancer drug resistance, such as combination therapy and drug-loaded nanoparticles, the complexity and variability of drug resistance mechanism still inevitably lead to the continuous occurrence of drug resistance. Therefore, with the increasing amounts of anti-breast cancer agents, there are now unprecedented opportunities to understand and overcome drug resistance through further research into mechanisms and corresponding strategies, which will help achieve lasting disease control and bring survival benefits to patients with advanced cancer. Papers of interest: The current Research Topic of Frontiers in Pharmacology focuses on publishing Original Research, Review articles and Case Reports focusing on (a) elucidating mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer, target mutations, tumor microenvironment, undiscovered genes and signaling pathways; (b) promising drug delivery systems that can enhance the sensitivity of anti- breast cancer agents to various tumors; (c) strategies that can improve patient care during bio-chemotherapeutic treatments; (d) small molecule compounds that are effective against drug-resistant breast tumors (e) biomarkers of chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer patients and (f) in vitro and in vivo models. Guidelines for article of submission: - Authors must stick to the set guidelines for ethical practices by the Frontiers journals. - The main content of the article must have certain innovation and research significance. - The authors should describe the construction method of drug-resistant cell lines when using them for experiments in the article.