Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have garnered significant attention as an innovative therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment. The mechanism of action for ADCs involves the targeted delivery of antibodies to specific receptors, followed by the release of cytotoxic payloads directly into tumor cells. In recent years, ADCs have made substantial progress in the treatment of breast cancer (BC), particularly demonstrating significant efficacy in the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)-positive subgroup. Clinical evidence indicates that ADCs have notably improved treatment efficacy and survival outcomes for BC patients. However, challenges such as drug toxicities and the emergence of drug resistance necessitate further research and discussion. In this paper, we will summarize the advances in ADCs targeting various receptors in BC patients and explore the challenges and future directions in this field. We anticipate that the increasing availability of ADCs will lead to more effective and personalized treatment options for BC patients.
Keywords: antibody–drug conjugates; breast cancer; bystander effects; drug resistance.
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.