Moving beyond the one-size-fits-all formula for breast cancer treatments

Major advances in the understanding of breast cancer biology have led to new treatment options that have dramatically improved the prognosis for breast cancer patients in the past few decades. Yet, breast cancer remains a signifcant health problem; in 2011 it was estimated that about 2.9 million women were living with breast cancer in the United States and median survival in the metastatic setting is only 2 years. Thus, the development of new and efective treatment options remains a priority. Here, we discuss the most signifcant advances in recent years that are changing oncology practice today and for the future.