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Published on: December 11, 2017

Overcoming Drug Resistance in Breast Cancer: Advances in Targeted and Combination Therapies

Sandip Mondal1, Manish Kumar Gautam2, Tapan Kumar Mukherjee3

  • 1Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Kolkata, Major Arterial Road, Action Area II, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India.

Current Cancer Drug Targets
|July 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading global diagnosis. This review explores advanced targeted therapies and novel molecules to overcome resistance and improve treatment efficacy for various BC subtypes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Breast cancer (BC) is the second most diagnosed cancer globally, posing a significant public health challenge.
  • Current BC treatment relies on factors like tumor characteristics and molecular subtypes, including hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 status.
  • Despite advancements, challenges like treatment resistance and toxicity limit the efficacy of conventional targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the advancements in conventional targeted therapies for breast cancer.
  • To introduce novel targeted molecules and therapeutic strategies for BC treatment.
  • To discuss strategies for overcoming resistance and improving treatment outcomes in BC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of conventional and novel targeted therapies for breast cancer.
  • Analysis of molecular subtypes and their corresponding therapeutic targets.
  • Discussion of emerging drug classes and molecular mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Traditional BC treatment targets hormone receptors (HRs) and HER2, with chemotherapy for triple-negative BCs (TNBCs).
  • Resistance and toxicity are key limitations of current targeted therapies.
  • New generations of targeted molecules, including SERMs, SERDs, AIs, CDK4/6 and PARP inhibitors, ADCs, PROTACs, CERANs, and SERCAs, show promise.

Conclusions:

  • Advancements in targeted therapies offer new hope for improving breast cancer treatment outcomes.
  • Novel molecular agents are crucial for overcoming resistance and enhancing efficacy in diverse BC subtypes.
  • Continued research into next-generation therapies is essential for personalized and effective BC management.
Keywords:
Breast cancersantibody-drug conjugatesaromatase inhibitorscomplete estrogen receptor antagonistsestrogen receptorsestrogen response elementsimmune check-point inhibitorsproteolysis targeting chimerasselective estrogen re-ceptor modulatorsselective estrogen receptor covalent an-tagonistsselective estrogen receptor down-regulatorstriple-negative breast cancer

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