Opportunities and Challenges in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide. Literature review
assembles and compares available data on breast cancer clinical stage, time
intervals to care and access barriers in different countries. It provides evidence
that while more than 70% of breast cancer patients in most high-income
countries are diagnosed in stages I and II, only 20%-50% patients in the majority
of low- and middle income countries are diagnosed in these earlier stages.
Recent improvement in the understanding of the molecular and genetic
alterations underlying breast cancer progression and development has provided a
platform to develop novel therapeutic strategies for breast cancer. According to
new hypothesis, the development of novel treatment for breast cancer will result
from identification of specific molecular targets that are exposed in studies
designed to illuminate the gene and molecules involved in breast tumorigenesis.
This review highlights the basic, pathophysiology and classification of breast cancer, challenges including multidrug
resistance (by ABC transporter, P-glycoprotein, MDR-associated Protein (MRP1), breast cancer resistance protein
(BCRP), drug resistance in breast cancer, multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells in vitro), microtubules
alteration, altered enzyme, p-53 tumor suppressor gene and cell cycle, alteration in DNA repair processes, cell death
response, difficulty to treat metastatic stage, unable to reach the target site. It also deals with opportunities and
advance imaging techniques in breast cancer treatment.