Abstract
Simple SummaryBreast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and remains a leading cause of cancer-associated death in women. Radiation therapy is frequently used and plays a key role in the clinical treatment of breast cancers. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that contribute to the response of cell and tissues to radiation therapy will allow for more targeted and personalized treatment plans in the future. This review investigates the use of three-dimensional (3D) models for the study of radiation therapy in the context of breast cancer to help inform future directions for the field.Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated death in women. The clinical management of breast cancers is normally carried out using a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. The majority of research investigating breast cancer therapy until now has mainly utilized two-dimensional (2D) in vitro cultures or murine models of disease. However, there has been significant uptake of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models by cancer researchers over the past decade, highlighting a complimentary model for studies of radiotherapy, especially in conjunction with chemotherapy. In this review, we underline the effects of radiation therapy on normal and malignant breast cells and tissues, and explore the emerging opportunities that pre-clinical 3D models offer in improving our understanding of this treatment modality.
Highlights
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated death in women [1]
Breast cancers have been categorized into three major subtypes based on the presence of the hormonal receptors-estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)
Breast cancers are classified into Stages 0, I, II, III and IV depending on the severity of the cancer, ranging from least invasive to highly metastatic cancers respectively
Summary
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated death in women [1]. Breast cancers have been categorized into three major subtypes based on the presence of the hormonal receptors-estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). In the case of non-metastatic breast cancer, almost 50% of patients are treated by tumor resection through a localized lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy [2]. More than half of patients with stage III breast cancers are treated by a mastectomy [2]. This is usually followed up with systemic hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or breast tissue irradiation. We briefly discuss the biological effects of radiation therapy followed by the current preclinical tools available to study these effects for breast cancers. This review focuses on the use of 3D breast cancer models for the study of radiation therapy
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