title: Angiogenesis and Antiangiogenesis in Triple-Negative Breast cancer.
abstract: Several data support a central role for angiogenesis in breast cancer growth and metastasis. Observational studies have demonstrated that microvascular density (MVD) is a prognostic factor in invasive breast cancer, whereas others reached the opposite conclusion. Vascular endothelial growth factor is the most important angiogenic factor with proven significance in breast cancer, as it has been assessed in both experimental and clinical studies. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer which lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2/neu receptors. MVD in both basal-like and TNBC is significantly higher than in non-basal-like and non-TNBC. In breast cancer and other malignancies, the development of agents that inhibit tumor angiogenesis has been an active area of investigation. In TNBC, clinical trials combining targeted agents and chemotherapy have failed to show substantial survival improvement. There is evidence that patients with TNBC may have a greater probability of obtaining some kind of clinical efficacy benefit from bevacizumab-based therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II," Bari, Italy. Electronic address: domenico.ribatti@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nico
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tamma
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II," Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.affiliation: Functional Biomorphology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II," Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangia