Breast Cancer—Therapeutic Challenges, Research Strategies and Novel Diagnostics

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to the breast cancer research of recent decades, effective methods and strategies have been established, allowing the mortality rates of breast cancer patients to decrease more and more.

Compared with other subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer remains one of the most aggressive cancers. However, modern therapeutics, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody–drug conjugates, are currently changing the treatment landscape of this disease. In HER2-positive breast cancer patients, who had once been patients with an extremely poor prognosis, targeted therapies have reduced mortality rates immensely. Research has gone so far that, even decades after the discovery of the HER2 receptor, its differentiation to zero, low or positive has gained importance, as this is another target option for specific novel treatments. Additionally, when it comes to hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, it is the class of CDK4/6 inhibitors that—after almost half a century of single-endocrine treatment—has changed usual treatment patterns, and was the first to be successfully combined even in the early therapy stage.

Despite all these advancements, we still face many challenges in breast cancer research.

On a molecular basis, the role of intrinsic subtypes, certain biomarkers or mutations is still not clear for treatment and surveillance. Novel drugs, including those mentioned above, are often associated with a different spectrum of adverse events than that seen for conventional therapies, accordingly having an impact on patients’ compliance behaviors. In breast cancer surgery, in some cases, the question remains of whether to escalate or to deescalate. Additionally, with regard to diagnostics, in a digitalized world, artificial intelligence, home-based tools and therapy monitoring options are of high importance, especially after conditions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and supply problems.

The aim is to gather original research articles and reviews demonstrating therapeutic challenges, research strategies and novel diagnostics in breast cancer.

Dr. Naiba Nabieva
Collection Editor

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