Role of traditional and new biomarkers in breast carcinogenesis

In recent decades, several biomarkers have been investigated as predictors of breast cancer risk, development, prognosis and treatment efficacy. The detection of biomarkers strongly associated with breast carcinogenesis has an enormous potential, especially for selecting subjects at high risk of developing breast cancer who could benefit from chemopreventive treatments. Although the number of potential biomarkers continues to increase, a unique biomarker for breast cancer risk prediction has not been identified and it is probable that a panel of biomarkers will prove optimal. Further studies are needed to validate breast cancer biomarkers evaluation for individual risk assessment. This review summarizes the main biomarkers, which are important at different stages of breast carcinogenesis with updates from the recent literature.