Current aspects of systematics, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to mine, compile and analyze the published data on breast cancer (BC) systematization, diagnosis and treatment. In the current review, modern approaches in BC subtypes diagnosis based on genomic profiling, miRNA expression pattern analysis, SNP analysis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as well as proteomic mapping as essential components of the disease peculiarities improving the prognostic outcome were compiled and analyzed. Further, tumor-initiating stem-like cells as a factor affecting both prognosis and treatment choice for BC are considered and evaluated. And finally, modern principles of enhancing tumor sensitivity to therapeutic effects of anticancer drugs, which comprise the use of cytostatics in condensed modes, combining drugs, which exert different mechanisms of cytotoxicity, as well as the introduction of new chemotherapy drugs into therapeutic practice, including those targeted against the common metabolic pathways both in stem-like and committed breast cancer cells, are compiled and discussed. The analysis indicates that the current paradigm in BC treatment is development and implementation of the newest methods for diagnosis of BC sybtypes, which, being combined with those already implemented, would allow the administration of treatment according to the individual peculiarities of a tumor.

Keywords

• estrogen receptors
• progesterone receptors
• ki-67 index
• her2
• genomic profiling
• tumor stem cells