Active constituents of herbal medicines for breast cancer: Current status

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. The risk profile of BC and the choice of its treatment modalities depend upon the rate of incidence, treatment outcome, prognosis, and the extent of metastases. Though multiple modalities to treat BC exist, there is no single panacea available. The discovery of novel molecular targets and the availability of innovative dosage form to deliver drugs to the tumor microenvironment and an upsurge in the biologicals have revolutionized the treatment of BC. However, the cost-effectiveness of such therapies, their unavoidable adverse effects, and poor therapeutic outcomes underscore the need to search for still better therapeutic options. Against this backdrop, the striking anticancer efficacies of multiple phytoconstituents that have succeeded to enter the later phases of clinical trials present a renewed hope in treating BC. In this review, we have given the account of selected secondary plant metabolites that are posing as new options in treating BC. Their interactions with molecular pathways and therapeutic targets involved in the initiation and progression of BC are elaborated.