Recent development of targeted approaches for the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prominent cause of cancer death in women worldwide. The highlights of this review are to provide an overview of the targeted therapeutic agents, challenges with metastatic breast cancer (MBCa), mechanisms of action through Hedgehog/Gli 1 signaling pathway and future prospective. Over a decade of success, several drugs have been approved and are in the advanced stages of clinical trials that target the receptors such as estrogen receptor, growth factor receptor, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B, etc. Currently, several monoclonal antibodies are also used for the treatment of breast cancer. Advances in understanding tumor biology, particularly signaling pathways such as Notch signaling pathway, Hedgehog/Gli 1 signaling pathway, and inhibitors are considered to be important for bone metastasis. These studies may provide vital information for the design and development of new strategies with respect to efficacy, reduction of the side effects, and treatment strategies.