Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. The vast majority of breast cancers are carcinomas that originate from cells lining the milk-forming ducts of the mammary gland. The molecular subtypes of breast cancer, which are based on the presence or absence of hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone subtypes) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), include: hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative (luminal A subtype), hormone receptor positive and HER2 positive (luminal B subtype), hormone receptor negative and HER2 positive (HER2 positive), and hormone receptor negative and HER2 negative (basal-like or triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs)). Hormone receptor positive breast cancers are largely driven by the estrogen/ER pathway. In HER2 positive breast tumours, HER2 activates the PI3K/AKT and the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathways, and stimulate cell growth, survival and differentiation. In patients suffering from TNBC, the deregulation of various signalling pathways (Notch and Wnt/beta-catenin), EGFR protein have been confirmed. In the case of breast cancer only 8% of all cancers are hereditary, a phenomenon linked to genetic changes in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Somatic mutations in only three genes (TP53, PIK3CA and GATA3) occurred at >10% incidence across all breast cancers.

Human Diseases; Cancer: specific types
BRITE hierarchy

nt06210  ERK signaling
nt06214  PI3K signaling
nt06215  WNT signaling
nt06216  NOTCH signaling
nt06227  Nuclear receptor signaling
nt06230  Cell cycle G1/S
nt06240  Transcription
nt06260  Colorectal cancer
nt06261  Gastric cancer
nt06262  Pancreatic cancer
nt06263  Hepatocellular carcinoma
nt06265  Bladder cancer
nt06266  Non-small cell lung cancer
nt06267  Small cell lung cancer
nt06268  Melanoma
nt06269  Basal cell carcinoma
nt06270  Breast cancer
nt06271  Endometrial cancer
nt06272  Prostate cancer
nt06273  Glioma
nt06274  Thyroid cancer
nt06276  Chronic myeloid leukemia

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