title: Novel methods and tracers for breast cancer imaging.
abstract: Although positron emission tomography (PET) using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has an established role in breast cancer staging and monitoring response to therapy, more specifically novel targeted tracers are under investigation and hold promise toward identification of critical molecular targets of therapy. We review herein novel tracers in breast cancer including steroidal endocrine tracers, 16α-[(18)F]fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES) to measure tumor estrogen receptor density and function and 21-(18)F-fluoro-16α,17α-[(R)-(1'-α-furylmethylidene)dioxy]-19-norpregn-4-ene-3,20-dione (FFNP) to assay tumor progesterone receptor (PgR) expression, and to asses nuclear proliferation using 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT), membrane lipids using (11)C- or (18)F-labeled choline and amino acid transport using (11)C-methionine. These investigational tracers are moving closer to clinical use, and are likely to affect clinical care by aiding in characterization of breast cancer biology, which can have an important effect in the selection of targeted therapy and monitoring responsiveness to such therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA 98109-1023, USA. hmlinden@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Hannah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Farrokh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dehdashti
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D011987:Receptors, Steroid