Among the plethora of human malignancies, breast cancer is one of the most
prevalent cancers diagnosed in women worldwide. The early detection of breast cancer
with current techniques has significantly reduced the mortality rate in the last decade.
Nonetheless, various drawbacks presented by these techniques remain as one of the
foremost hurdles in the proper clinical management of the condition. The discovery and
utilization of highly specific, minimally invasive unique biomarkers would greatly aid
an efficient diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. The differential expressions of
miRNAs also play well-studied roles in the progression and metastasis of the condition.
The chapter outlines the clinical importance of miRNAs-based biomarkers in the early
detection and prognosis of breast cancer and reviews the different subtypes involved.
The role of miRNAs in modulating various cellular processes during the progression
and metastasis of breast cancer has been discussed. Finally, the importance of an
integrated omics approach in identifying novel targets of miRNAs is also elaborated
upon.
Keywords: Autophagy, Apoptosis, Biomarker, Breast cancer, Cancer stem cells,
Metabolomics, miRNA, Proteomics, Senescence.
