Transdermal therapeutic systems in breast cancer therapy

Breast cancer is a type of malignant disease affecting women around the world, it is a highly heterogeneous cancer with several histological and molecular phenotypes. Meanwhile, transdermal or topical dosage forms have received increasing attention as cancer treatment strategies, due to their favorable properties such as no need or minimal need for invasive injections, as well as diminished side effects of systemic administration and first pass effect by the liver. Given the unique physiological structure of breast tissue, the application of transdermal pharmaceuticals in breast cancer has been explored and revealed encouraging outcomes in recent years. In this review, we focus on the medical applications of transdermal therapeutic systems for breast cancer control and treatment, with an emphasis on transdermal drug delivery systems. The challenges and prospects of these transdermal systems are also briefly discussed.