ABSTRACT
The activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine-threonine protein kinase (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway plays an important role in cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, and it has been proved to be associated with resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and trastuzumab in patients with breast cancer. The clinical trial of estrogen receptor-positive advanced breast cancer has revealed that the targted therapy of inhibitors of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in combination with AIs/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) could achieve a good response and improve the progression-free survival. The study and clinical application of everolimus, an inhibitor of PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, are most ripe. This review focuses on the advances in the role of everolimus in the treatment of recurrent, metastatic and resistant breast cancer.