Modeling metastatic breast cancer in mice

Metastatic disease is the major cause of death in breast cancer patients. Patients presenting with metastases cannot be cured, and as a consequence, treatment is palliative and focuses on prolonging survival and maintaining quality of life. Numerous mouse models have been generated in which human breast cancer development and metastasis have been studied, ranging from spontaneous and carcinogen-induced models to transplantation models and genetically engineered mouse models. Here, we summarize past progress and highlight present developments in modeling breast cancer invasion and metastasis in genetically modified mice, and the impact it may have on the development of innovative anticancer therapies.