title: Iodine-labeled tamoxifen uptake in primary human breast carcinoma.
abstract: Assessing tumor uptake and retention of (123)I-labeled tamoxifen (TX) could increase our understanding of TX's action and the mechanisms involved in resistance to the drug.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine untreated primary breast carcinoma patients underwent whole-body planar and tomographic (SPECT) imaging 30 min and 4-5 h after injection of 185 MBq (123)I-TX. Tumor-to-normal tissue uptake ratios (T/N) derived from SPECT images were related to estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 4 of 9 patients, all of whom were ER+/PR+, (123)I-TX tumor uptake was clearly depicted. In 2 of them, involved axillary lymph nodes were also visualized. T/N consistently increased over time. All ER+/PR- and ER-/PR- tumors as well as 2 ER+/PR+ tumors were (123)I-TX-.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary findings suggest that (123)I-TX is preferentially taken up in alpha-ER+/PR+ breast tumors known to be more likely to respond to endocrine treatment.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Nuclear Medicine, Medical Oncology, and Oncological Gynaecology and Department of Anatomopathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van de Wiele
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cocquyt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: VandenBroecke
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Vos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Belle
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dhaene
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slegers
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dierckx
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen