breast cancer
breast cancer
Overview
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous Malignant Disease arising from breast tissue, most commonly from the epithelial cells of the ducts or lobules. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women, particularly because of metastatic disease, therapy resistance, and biologic diversity across subtypes. Clinically, breast cancer is often classified by hormone receptor status and other molecular features, which influence prognosis and treatment selection.
From a biomedical perspective, breast cancer is not a single entity but a spectrum of diseases shaped by tumor-intrinsic alterations and the surrounding tumor microenvironment. Recent research has emphasized pathways involving oestrogen receptor signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, DNA damage repair, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, checkpoint inhibitor, and interactions with macrophage, dendritic cell, B-cell, and T-lymphocytes populations. These mechanisms are being explored to improve diagnosis, predict response, and overcome resistance to therapies such as paclitaxel, docetaxel, olaparib, radiation therapy, and Targeted Cancer Therapy.
Focus of Latest Publications
Recent publications describe breast cancer as a major clinical and research focus across diagnosis, prognosis, treatment resistance, supportive care, and precision oncology. Several studies centered on metastatic or hormone receptor-positive disease, including single-cell transcriptomics of HR-positive metastatic breast cancer to better define its immunological landscape, and analyses of tertiary lymphoid structures as potentially favorable immune features associated with improved prognosis and immunotherapy response. Another study examined early local immune activation after intra-operative radiotherapy in human breast tissue, reflecting ongoing interest in how radiation therapy reshapes the immune microenvironment.
A substantial portion of the recent literature focused on imaging and prediction of treatment response. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT were compared for their ability to predict pathological response after neoadjuvant therapy, while other studies used deep learning, machine learning, and radiopathomic graph models to predict recurrence, adjuvant radiation benefit, and pathologic complete response. Digital breast tomosynthesis was also used in an advanced deep learning framework for breast cancer detection. These studies collectively reflect a shift toward multimodal prediction using imaging, pathology, and longitudinal data.
Therapy resistance was another major theme. One study investigated PCK1 as a target to overcome Cdk4/6 inhibitor resistance, while another reported that CTDSPL2 facilitates resistance to paclitaxel by suppressing SCYL1 phosphorylation. Additional work examined hypoxia-induced exosomal CAMTA1 in radio-resistance, UBD in malignant progression, and antibody-drug conjugate resistance. These findings align with broader efforts to identify biomarkers and vulnerabilities linked to drug efflux pumps, genomic stability, and tumor stemness.
Several studies explored novel therapeutic strategies and delivery systems. Nanoparticle-based approaches were used for photothermal therapy, sonodynamic immunotherapy, and targeted drug delivery, including copper-based nanoplatforms designed to enhance cuproptosis and anti-metastatic immunity, and magnetic nanoplatforms intended for breast cancer applications. Other work evaluated co-delivery systems for chemoprevention, bio-magnetic nanomedicine, and AI-assisted delivery systems. In parallel, in silico studies screened natural compounds and phytochemicals, including garlic-derived organosulfur compounds, royal jelly bioactives, Hydnocarpus wightianus phytochemicals, and Poikilospermum suaveolens root fractions, against breast cancer biomarkers or signaling pathways.
Immunology and tumor microenvironment research also featured prominently. Studies examined immune-related biomarkers such as CD2, CD3D, CXCL9, CXCL13, CCL5, CD74, SELE, GSTM5, and NY-ESO-1, as well as the roles of macrophage polarization, anti-PD-L1 strategies, TIGIT-related immune regulation, and cGAS-STING activation. CAR T cell therapies and CAR-NK approaches were also referenced in the broader research context, reflecting interest in engineered cellular immunotherapy for solid tumors including breast cancer. Related work on ferroptosis, glutathione, reactive oxygen species, and mitochondrion-associated stress responses further underscores the importance of metabolic and redox regulation in breast cancer biology.
Prevention, survivorship, and supportive care were also represented. One study assessed adherence to an exercise intervention during (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy, while another developed and validated a spiritual care e-book for Chinese women undergoing chemotherapy. A protocol for a systematic review addressed body-oriented interventions for survivors, and another paper described long-term survivors’ experiences and needs, including persistent physical and cognitive effects of treatment. Risk-related research included the association between FTO genotype and breast cancer risk after bariatric surgery, and a feasibility trial protocol for intermittent diet to prevent weight gain in women at increased risk of breast cancer.
Surgical and radiotherapy-related innovation remained important. Precision delineation of surgical margins was studied using a KIAA1363-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probe, and a phase 2 trial evaluated single-fraction high-gradient adjuvant partial breast irradiation in early-stage, hormone-positive breast cancer. Another prospective trial examined hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy for brain metastases from breast cancer. Together, these studies show continued efforts to refine local control while reducing toxicity.