The Science of Breast Cancer Today

Breast cancer research has advanced rapidly in recent years, providing women and their clinicians with better tools to detect cancer early and understand how different tumors behave. These discoveries matter because they guide decisions about screening, treatment, and long-term care. As science improves, women can make more informed decisions with greater confidence (National Cancer Institute, 2025).

Art by Shea Davis

Improving Screening Technology

Mammography remains the most effective breast cancer screening method, but researchers are studying ways to make it even more accurate. The NCI-supported Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial is comparing standard 2-D mammography with 3-D imaging to determine which approach detects more treatable cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2025). Other studies are testing mammograms with contrast dye to help women with dense breast tissue, since dense tissue makes cancers harder to see on a regular mammogram (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).

Researchers are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to help radiologists read mammograms more precisely. Early studies show that AI models can flag subtle findings that might improve early detection and reduce missed cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2025). Because screening can detect tumors that may never become dangerous, scientists are examining ways to avoid overdiagnosis. The WISDOM study, for example, is comparing annual screening with personalized schedules based on a woman’s individual risk level (National Cancer Institute, 2025).

What Tumor Biology Reveals

Different subtypes of breast cancer vary in behavior and progression. Triple negative breast cancer,for example,  tends to grow quickly and has fewer targeted treatments than other subtypes. Research shows that these tumors often include large, abnormal polyploid giant cancer cells that help the cancer resist treatment and spread more easily. Understanding how these cells work may lead to new therapies that target the tumor’s most aggressive features.

Other cancers, like estrogen receptor positive tumors, depend on hormones to grow. These cancers often respond well to hormone therapies that block estrogen or break down hormone receptors. Recently approved oral SERD drugs have offered better outcomes for many women with advanced estrogen receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 2024).

New Treatment Options

Many new treatments are designed to attack cancer more precisely while protecting healthy tissue. Monoclonal antibodies are engineered proteins that bind  to specific markers on cancer cells. Some deliver  chemotherapy directly to the tumor, helping women with HER2-positive or hormone receptor positive cancers live longer without disease progression (American Cancer Society, 2024).

Small-molecule drugs can block growth pathways inside cancer cells . When combined with hormone therapy, these drugs have improved survival for women with advanced or metastatic hormone receptor positive cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2025).

Immunotherapy is also advancing . Drugs like pembrolizumab can help the immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells, especially in triple negative breast cancer. Studies show that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy before surgery improves treatment responses in early-stage disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).

Art by Shea Davis

The Road Ahead

Breast cancer research programs continue to study prevention, imaging, survivorship, and the social factors that affect access to treatment. These discoveries are moving care toward a future where screening is more accurate, treatment is more targeted, and survival continues to improve. Expanding insurance coverage, improving culturally sensitive education, and investing in community health infrastructure are essential steps.

References

American Cancer Society. (2024). Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024–2025. Atlanta, 

GA:American Cancer Society.

Breast Cancer Research Foundation. (2024). Understanding Breast Cancer Biology and 

Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.bcrf.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Breast Cancer Awareness. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/features/breast-cancer.html

National Cancer Institute. (2025). Advances in Breast Cancer Research. Retrieved from

https://www.cancer.gov