Breast cancer survival pathways

Breast cancer survival pathways represent a diverse set of interconnected signaling networks that enable malignant cells to evade apoptosis and maintain proliferative capacity. Primary among these are the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK/ERK pathways, which integrate extracellular signals from growth factor receptors like HER2 and hormone receptors like the Estrogen Receptor (Source: PubMed, PMID: 30545854). Dysregulation of these pathways, often through genetic mutations such as PIK3CA or loss of the PTEN tumor suppressor, is a hallmark of breast cancer progression and therapeutic resistance (Source: NIH/NCI). Pharmacological targeting of these pathways involves the use of kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies designed to block specific signaling nodes, thereby restoring the cell's natural apoptotic mechanisms (Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology). However, the complexity and redundancy of these networks often lead to the activation of compensatory pathways, presenting a significant challenge for long-term treatment efficacy (Source: StatPearls).

Other names

Pro-survival signaling in breast cancerOncogenic survival networksBreast cancer cell survival signaling

Inhibition of specific enzymatic or receptor nodes within intracellular cascades to disrupt pro-survival signaling and promote programmed cell death (Source: Nature Reviews Cancer).