Breast cancer is diagnosed in over two million people each year and kills more than six hundred thousand. It has numerous histological subtypes, each with different molecular properties, and a variety of genetic and environmental factors increase an individual's risk of developing the disease.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine reviews our understanding of breast cancer epidemiology, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying its progression, and recent advances in tumor prevention, detection and treatment. The contributors discuss how work using animal models, patient-derived xenografts, and organoid cultures, together with new imaging approaches, is providing new insights into the molecular pathology of breast cancer. In addition, they examine genetic and genomic determinants, the role of chromatin, and research into intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity.

The authors also discuss tumor dormancy, the importance of the immune system in breast cancer, and ways this may be harnessed in tumor immunotherapy. This volume is therefore a vital reference for all biologists seeking to understand the biological basis of cancer, as well as immunologists and oncologists dedicated to combating this deadly disease.