Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 and 6 Inhibitors: A Quantum Leap in the Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancers

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is defined as an uncontrolled growth of breast cells that affected 2.3 million women in 2020 alone. Until a few years earlier, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were the most commonly used treatments in treating BC; however, many trials and studies were conducted to test the competence of cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6) in arresting the cell cycle, and it was found that they were highly influential in halting the disease from progressing. Palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib are the three drugs that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are even more efficient when used in combination with aromatase inhibitors and fulvestrant. This article aimed to explain the effect of CDK4/6 inhibitors on tumor cells and their efficacy in combination with other drugs. We further explored the development of resistance to these treatments and future possibilities.

Keywords: abemaciclib; cdk4/6 inhibitor; her2-positive breast cancer; palbociclib; ribociclib.