Nature’s touch in oncology: evidence based approach exploring phytoscience for emerging therapeutics of breast cancer

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women compared to men. Uncontrolled growth of defective breast cells turns into tumors and it can become fatal if not treated timely. BC cells first grow inside the breast’s milk-producing lobules. Mammary stem cells and normal growth of the breast are regulated by several signaling channels, including as HER2, ERs, and Wnt/b-catenin pathways, which control stem cell proliferation, differentiation, motility, and death. BC is associated with risk factors such as smoking, obesity, height, alcohol use, early menarche, late menopause, positive family history a sedentary lifestyle, nulliparity, and hormone replacement treatment. The main treatment consists of surgery and radiation followed by chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic medications are toxic and recurrence is very common. Hence, it opened new window for exploring phytoconstituent and plant-based therapy as adjuvant therapy with chemotherapeutic medication to treat and overcome the recurrence of breast cancer The study of medicinal plants has been prompted by a focus on natural compounds with possible anticancer efficacy that show fewer side effects. This article addresses evidence-based approaches on plant extract and phytoconstituent for their anticancer potential based on biomarkers. This review also highlights the pathophysiology of BC and clinical translational efficiency. Graphical Abstract