The relevance of mouse models to understanding the development and progression of human breast cancer

Mouse modeling of human breast cancer has developed tremendously over the past ten years. Human breast cancer is characterized by enormous biological diversity and, collectively, the new models have come much closer to encompassing this diversity. They have provided a deeper understanding of the fundamental events that mediate the initiation, development, and progression of breast cancer, and they offer new opportunities to develop and test strategies to treat and, perhaps, even prevent the disease. This chapter reviews the historical development of mouse models of breast cancer and highlights some of their major strengths, weaknesses, and contributions.