Models for Breast Cancers

Abstract

Breast cancer afflicts a high proportion of women and its underlying causes are not fully understood. There are many risk factors that contribute to breast cancer, and a small proportion of cases have been attributed to inherited predisposition genes. Recently, there have been attempts to improve the classification of breast cancers, notably by gene expression microarray techniques, with the aim of providing more sophisticated prognostic information, to identify new targets for therapy and even to determine women most likely to need (and/or benefit from) additional interventions. With much more still to be learned about the basic biology of breast cancers, and a great deal to be gained by studying possible means of preventing progression or controlling disseminated disease, laboratory models are still essential. This section attempts to give an overview of in vitro and in vivo systems that may be useful to further our knowledge in these areas.