Angiogenic molecules and mechanisms in breast cancer.

One of the most promising and exciting anti-cancer strategies is one that is based on the inhibition of angiogenesis. Unlike conventional therapeutic approaches, anti-angiogenic therapy holds the unique promise of treating the disease in the absence of cytotoxicity or drug resistance. The link between angiogenesis and the progression of human breast cancer has been known for over 25 years, yet it is only in recent years, as endogenous stimulators and inhibitors of angiogenesis have been discovered and studied, that the promise of this therapeutic approach for breast cancer has come to be appreciated. This article presents a concise review of recent studies focused on the molecules and mechanisms that are related to the role of angiogenesis in breast cancer.