Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer

We present an in-depth description of resistance to targeted therapies in breast cancer. Targeted therapies discussed here include those used to treat ER+ or Her2+ breast cancers (i.e., Tamoxifen or trastuzumab) or those targeting signaling pathways aberrantly activated in triple negative breast cancer (i.e., EGFR and Wnt signaling). We have also provided an overview of standard of care as an introduction into the importance of targeted therapy. It is our hope that this volume gives an insight into the landscape of breast cancer treatment, the challenges of targeted therapy, and a glimpse into the future of breast cancer therapy.

Dr. Prosperi received her BA in Microbiology from Miami University (OH), and went on to get a PhD in Integrated Biomedical Science (focus: Cancer Biology) at The Ohio State University. She joined a laboratory focused on breast cancer research, and started volunteering at The James Cancer Hospital and with The Komen Foundation. She then completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Chicago, where she started to focus on the APC tumor suppressor and developing targeted therapies for breast cancer. In 2012, she was recruited to Indiana University School of Medicine – South Bend with an adjunct faculty position at the University of Notre Dame. Through these affiliations, she has been a member of both the Simon Cancer Center and the Harper Cancer Research Institute since 2012. Her laboratory is focused on the understanding of resistance to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, specifically how the APC tumor suppressor impacts this process.