Therapeutic targets in triple negative breast cancer

J Clin Pathol. 2013 Jun;66(6):530-42. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2012-201361. Epub 2013 Feb 22.

Abstract

Outcomes have improved significantly for many women diagnosed with breast cancer. For the heterogeneous group of tumours lacking expression of the oestrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors, 'triple negative' breast cancers (TNBC), the prognosis overall has remained quite poor. When TNBC recurs, there is often little response to chemotherapy, and there are a few treatment options in this setting. Thus, there is an urgent clinical need to identify new therapeutic targets in order to improve the outlook for these patients. This review highlights the most promising therapeutic targets identified through new sequencing technologies, as well as through studies of apoptosis. We also present mounting evidence that the developmental signalling pathways Wnt/β-catenin, NOTCH and Hedgehog play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of TNBC with new therapeutic approaches inhibiting these pathways in advanced preclinical studies or early clinical trials.

Keywords: BREAST CANCER; BREAST PATHOLOGY; CANCER RESEARCH.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Receptor, ErbB-2