title: Monitoring early response to taxane therapy in advanced breast cancer with circulating tumor cells and [(18)F] 3´-deoxy-3´-fluorothymidine PET: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early markers of response to chemotherapy, measured by blood markers and imaging, may ultimately lead to tailored therapies that avoid cumulative toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a small pilot study to compare early changes in levels of circulatory tumor cells (CTCs) with changes in tumor proliferation, using metabolic imaging with [(18)F] 3´-deoxy-3´-fluorothymidine PET (FLT-PET) in women with advanced breast cancer, before and during docetaxel therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In those individuals in whom we could detect CTCs, a decrease in CTC count correlated with a decrease in FLT-PET signal, within 2 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined, these two technologies are likely to provide a powerful, albeit expensive, tool to assess immediate responses to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kaiyumars
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Contractor
authors.forename: Eric O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Aboagye
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Amarnath
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Challapalli
authors.forename: R Charles
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Coombes
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stebbing
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000378:metabolism; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D043823:Taxoids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane; C002854:alovudine