Animal models of breast cancer

Abstract

Several animal models have been used to investigate the etiology and to understand the mechanism of breast carcinogenesis. Advances in cancer management relied on the use of animal models to discover and develop new cancer preventive and therapeutic strategies. Animal models have the advantage of the presence of stromal and 3D structures, which were lacking in the in vitro cell culture preclinical evaluations. Xenograft animal models combined in vitro and in vivo models to overcome the dissimilarity between genetics and other biomarkers of animals and their human counterparts. This chapter will illustrate the various animal models used in breast cancer and their relevance to human breast cancer.