Breast cancer usually occurs in the milk ducts or in the tubes that supply milk to the milk ducts of the breast. Breast cancer is a complex disease caused by a number of factors. One has to do with the way genes mutate and interact with hormones in the body. Tyrosine kinases are a type of gene that is part of the human genome.
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Tyrosine kinases are a group receptors that that take in chemicals involved in cellular processes. Tyrosine kinases also contribute to the formation and progression of different types of cancers, including breast cancer, when pathogenic. They are also involved in the formation of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
Sunitab
Sunitab is a drug used in cancer treatment. A study published in April 2008 in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" found that sunitab stopped vascular endothelial growth factor receptors in patients with metastatic breast cancer, a condition where cancerous cells from the breast spread to other areas of the body. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors belong to the family of tyrosine kinases. They are a type of signaling protein that contributes to the growth of tumors when over-expressed.
ErbB2
ErbB2 is a gene involved with the growth and division of cells. When this gene is over-expressed, it can lead to breast cancer with aggressive tumor growth. ErbB2 is a type of tyrosine kinases receptor. An experimental drug called neratinib is under investigation in the treatment of breast cancer. In a study published in March 2010 in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology," neratinib was found to stop ErbB2 from causing the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
Lapatinib
Lapatinib is a drug approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. It works by inhibiting tyrosine kinase receptors, according to the authors in a study published in February 2009 in "Drug Metabolism and Disposition." This drug works on ErbB2, which has been identified in the pathology of breast cancer. In breast cancer treatment, lapatinib is used in combination with capecitabine, a type of chemotherapy drug that slows tumor tissue growth.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Oncology"; Phase II Study of Sunitinib Malate, an Oral Multitargeted Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Previously Treated With an Anthracycline and a Taxane; Harold J. Burstein et al.; April 2008
- "Journal of Clinical Oncology"; Neratinib, an Irreversible ErbB Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced ErbB2-Positive Breast Cancer; Harold J. Burstein et al.; March 2010
- "Drug Metabolism and Disposition"; An Unexpected Synergist Role of P-Glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein on the Central Nervous System Penetration of the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Lapatinib (N-{3-Chloro-4-[(3-fluorobenzyl)oxy]phenyl}-6-[5-({[2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl]amino}methyl)-2-furyl]-4-quinazolinamine; GW572016); Joseph W. Polli et al.; February 2009
