title: Novel antiangiogenic drugs for the management of breast cancer: new approaches for an old issue?
abstract: Since angiogenesis plays an important role in cancer growth, infiltration and metastasis, many agents targeting this pathway have been developed over the last decade. Antiangiogenic drugs interfere with this process and may inhibit neoplastic growth or induce tumor dormancy by blocking the expanding network of newly formed capillaries. Despite the initial promise, targeting angiogenesis in breast cancer has not reached major breakthroughs. Nevertheless, the immunologic role of VEGF deserves to be further explored. We aim to describe the biological mechanisms which underlie the role of angiogenesis in breast cancer carcinogenesis, to depict its contribution to the metastatic process and to review the most important clinical trials testing angiogenic inhibitors in breast cancer, including monoclonal antibodies and novel small molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bozza
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buoro
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansutti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aprile
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: VEGF; VEGFR; antiangiogenic drugs; breast cancer; monoclonal antibodies; tyrosine kinases inhibitors