Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors [VEGFR] as Target in Breast Cancer Treatment: Current Status in Preclinical and Clinical Studies and Future Directions

Abstract: Breast cancer [BC] is one of the most common cancers among women, one of the leading causes of a considerable number of cancer-related death globally. Among all procedures leading to the formation of breast tumors, angiogenesis has an important role in cancer progression and out-comes. Therefore, various anti-angiogenic strategies have been developed so far to enhance treat-ment's efficacy in different types of BC. Vascular endothelial growth factors [VEGFs] and their re-ceptors are regarded as the most well-known regulators of neovascularization. VEGF binding to vas-cular endothelial growth factor receptors [VEGFRs] provides cell proliferation and vascular tissue formation by the subsequent tyrosine kinase pathway. VEGF/VEGFR axis displays an attractive tar-get for anti-angiogenesis and anti-cancer drug design. This review aims to describe the existing litera-ture regarding VEGFR inhibitors, focusing on BC treatment reported in the last two decades.