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Sunassee ED, Jardim-Perassi BV, Madonna MC, Ordway B, Ramanujam N. Metabolic Imaging as a Tool to Characterize Chemoresistance and Guide Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:995-1009. [PMID: 37343066 PMCID: PMC10592445 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
After an initial response to chemotherapy, tumor relapse is frequent. This event is reflective of both the spatiotemporal heterogeneities of the tumor microenvironment as well as the evolutionary propensity of cancer cell populations to adapt to variable conditions. Because the cause of this adaptation could be genetic or epigenetic, studying phenotypic properties such as tumor metabolism is useful as it reflects molecular, cellular, and tissue-level dynamics. In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the characteristic metabolic phenotype is a highly fermentative state. However, during treatment, the spatial and temporal dynamics of the metabolic landscape are highly unstable, with surviving populations taking on a variety of metabolic states. Thus, longitudinally imaging tumor metabolism provides a promising approach to inform therapeutic strategies, and to monitor treatment responses to understand and mitigate recurrence. Here we summarize some examples of the metabolic plasticity reported in TNBC following chemotherapy and review the current metabolic imaging techniques available in monitoring chemotherapy responses clinically and preclinically. The ensemble of imaging technologies we describe has distinct attributes that make them uniquely suited for a particular length scale, biological model, and/or features that can be captured. We focus on TNBC to highlight the potential of each of these technological advances in understanding evolution-based therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enakshi D. Sunassee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Megan C. Madonna
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Bryce Ordway
- Department of Cancer Physiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nirmala Ramanujam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Clauser P, Rasul S, Kapetas P, Fueger BJ, Milos RI, Balber T, Berroterán-Infante N, Hacker M, Helbich TH, Baltzer PAT. Prospective validation of 18F-Fluoroethylcholine as a tracer in PET/MRI for the evaluation of breast lesions and prediction of lymph node status. LA RADIOLOGIA MEDICA 2023:10.1007/s11547-023-01633-6. [PMID: 37221356 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-023-01633-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess 18F-Fluoroethylcholine (18F-FEC) as a PET/MRI tracer in the evaluation of breast lesions, breast cancer aggressiveness, and prediction of lymph node status. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective, monocentric study was approved by the ethics committee and patients gave written, informed consent. This clinical trial was registered in the EudraCT database (Number 2017-003089-29). Women who presented with suspicious breast lesions were included. Histopathology was used as reference standard. Simultaneous 18F-FEC PET/MRI of the breast was performed in a prone position with a dedicated breast coil. MRI was performed using a standard protocol before and after contrast agent administration. A simultaneous read by nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists collected the imaging data of MRI-detected lesions, including the maximum standardized 18F-FEC-uptake value of breast lesions (SUVmaxT) and axillary lymph nodes (SUVmaxLN). Differences in SUVmax were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test. To calculate diagnostic performance, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) was used. RESULTS There were 101 patients (mean age 52.3 years, standard deviation 12.0) with 117 breast lesions included (30 benign, 7 ductal carcinomas in situ, 80 invasive carcinomas). 18F-FEC was well tolerated by all patients. The ROC to distinguish benign from malignant breast lesions was 0.846. SUVmaxT was higher if lesions were malignant (p < 0.001), had a higher proliferation rate (p = 0.011), and were HER2-positive (p = 0.041). SUVmaxLN was higher in metastatic lymph nodes, with an ROC of 0.761 for SUVmaxT and of 0.793 for SUVmaxLN. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous 18F-FEC PET/MRI is safe and has the potential to be used for the evaluation of breast cancer aggressiveness, and prediction of lymph node status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Clauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sazan Rasul
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Panagiotis Kapetas
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara J Fueger
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruxandra-Iulia Milos
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresa Balber
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neydher Berroterán-Infante
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Hans Helbich
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Molecular and Structural Preclinical Imaging, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pascal Andreas Thomas Baltzer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Romeo V, Helbich TH, Pinker K. Breast PET/MRI Hybrid Imaging and Targeted Tracers. J Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 57:370-386. [PMID: 36165348 PMCID: PMC10074861 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent introduction of hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) as a promising imaging modality for breast cancer assessment has prompted fervent research activity on its clinical applications. The current knowledge regarding the possible clinical applications of hybrid PET/MRI is constantly evolving, thanks to the development and clinical availability of hybrid scanners, the development of new PET tracers and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. In this state-of-the-art review on the use of hybrid breast PET/MRI, the most promising advanced MRI techniques (diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chemical exchange saturation transfer) are discussed. Current and experimental PET tracers (18 F-FDG, 18 F-NaF, choline, 18 F-FES, 18 F-FES, 89 Zr-trastuzumab, choline derivatives, 18 F-FLT, and 68 Ga-FAPI-46) are described in order to provide an overview on their molecular mechanisms of action and corresponding clinical applications. New perspectives represented by the use of radiomics and AI techniques are discussed. Furthermore, the current strengths and limitations of hybrid PET/MRI in the real world are highlighted. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Romeo
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Thomas H Helbich
- Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Katja Pinker
- Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.,Department of Radiology, Breast Imaging Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
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