Next-Generation Therapies for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is predominantly diagnosed and is a major cause of malignancy-related death among women globally. Traditional BC therapies include surgical excision of damaged tissue, radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. BC typically targets many important pathways, including the hormonal receptors, HER2, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. Other therapy strategies include blocking immunological checkpoints, addressing DNA repair, and developing antibody–drug conjugates. As technology advances, the approach to BC therapy has changed from using toxic, high dosages of drugs to using some novel targeted therapies like biomarker-specific, line-agnostic, and receptor-agnostic. The success of Trastuzumab (Herceptin) in BC therapy has prepared the path for a next-generation strategy to target the tumor's molecular mechanism. Research is in progress to identify novel blood-based and non-blood-based biomarkers for early detection and therapy for BC. Tumor heterogeneity, on the other hand, remains a major challenge. Drug repositioning and advanced formulation strategies are also on the list of next-generation therapies for BC. It is necessary to thoroughly analyze the patient’s mindset, financial capacity, and utility of innovative medical attention to effectively develop next-generation cancer medications. This chapter focuses on next-generation therapeutic strategies for the treatment of BC.