title: PET imaging of patients with non-small cell lung cancer employing an EGF receptor targeting drug as tracer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have previously developed (11)C-erlotinib as a new positron emission tomography (PET) tracer and shown that it accumulates in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive lung cancer xenografts in mice. Here, we present a study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) investigating the feasibility of (11)C-erlotinib PET as a potential method for the identification of lung tumours accumulating erlotinib.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients with NSCLC destined for erlotinib treatment were examined by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), (11)C-erlotinib PET/low-dose CT and (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) PET/low-dose CT before start of the erlotinib treatment. After 12 weeks treatment, they were examined by (18)F-FDG PET/contrast-enhanced CT for the assessment of clinical response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 13 patients included, 4 accumulated (11)C-erlotinib in one or more of their lung tumours or lymph-node metastases. Moreover, (11)C-erlotinib PET/CT identified lesions that were not visible on (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Of the four patients with accumulation of (11)C-erlotinib, one died before follow-up, whereas the other three showed a positive response to erlotinib treatment. Three of the nine patients with no accumulation died before follow-up, four showed progressive disease while two had stable disease after 12 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show a potential for (11)C-erlotinib PET/CT for visualizing NSCLC lung tumours, including lymph nodes not identified by (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Large clinical studies are now needed to explore to which extent pre-treatment (11)C-erlotinib PET/CT can predict erlotinib treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winterdahl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meldgaard
authors.forename: H H T
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keiding
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nexo
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sorensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors
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