Respective contribution of baseline clinical data, tumour metabolism and tumour blood-flow in predicting pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2 and Triple Negative breast cancer.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the added value of combining tumour blood flow (BF) and metabolism parameters, including texture features, with clinical parameters to predict, at baseline, the pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight BC patients underwent a F-FDG PET/CT before any treatment. Tumour BF and metabolism parameters were extracted from first-pass dynamic and delayed PET images, respectively.

A Practical Quality Assurance Procedure for Data Acquisitions in Preclinical Simultaneous PET/MR Systems.

The availability of preclinical simultaneous PET/MR imaging systems has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, this technique is progressively moving from the hands of pure physicists towards those of scientists more involved in pharmacology and biology. Unfortunately, these combined scanners can be prone to artefacts and deviation of their characteristics under the influence of external factors or mutual interference between subsystems.

Critical analysis of the effect of various methodologies to compute breast cancer tumour blood flow-based texture features using first-pass F-FDG PET.

Purpose: Assessment of tumour blood flow (BF) heterogeneity using first-pass FDG PET/CT and textural feature (TF) analysis is an innovative concept. We aim to explore the relationship between BF heterogeneity measured with different TFs calculation methods and the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled.

[I]MIBG is a better early marker of anthracycline cardiotoxicity than [F]FDG: a preclinical SPECT/CT and simultaneous PET/MR study.

Background: During anthracycline treatment of cancer, there is a lack for biomarkers of cardiotoxicity besides the cardiac dysfunction. The objective of the present study was to compare [F]FDG and [I]MIBG (metaiodobenzylguanidine) in a longitudinal study in a doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity rat model.

Methods: Male Wistar Han rats were intravenously administered 3 times at 10 days' interval with saline or doxorubicin (5 mg/kg).

Performance Evaluation and Compatibility Studies of a Compact Preclinical Scanner for Simultaneous PET/MR Imaging at 7 Tesla.

We present the design and performance of a new compact preclinical system combining positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous scans. The PET contains sixteen SiPM-based detector heads arranged in two octagons and covers an axial field of view (FOV) of 102.5 mm.

Innovative Magnetic Nanoparticles for PET/MRI Bimodal Imaging.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were developed as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) bimodal imaging agents. These nanoparticles (NPs), with a specific nanoflower morphology, were first synthesized and simultaneously functionalized with 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (LDOPA) under continuous hydrothermal conditions. The resulting NPs exhibited a low hydrodynamic size of 90 ± 2 nm.

Biological correlates of tumor perfusion and its heterogeneity in newly diagnosed breast cancer using dynamic first-pass F-FDG PET/CT.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study is to analyze the global tumor blood flow (BF) and its heterogeneity in newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC) according to tumor biological characteristics and molecular subtypes. These perfusion parameters were compared to those classically derived from metabolic studies to investigate links between perfusion and metabolism.

Methods: Two hundred seventeen newly diagnosed BC patients underwent a F-FDG PET/CT exam before any treatment.

Combination of breast imaging parameters obtained from F-FDG PET and CT scan can improve the prediction of breast-conserving surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in luminal/HER2-negative breast cancer.

Introduction: The luminal/Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) negative subtype of breast cancer has low chemo-sensitivity. When neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is indicated in this subtype, before a possible breast-conserving surgery (BCS), it is more reasonable to target tumor shrinkage than complete pathological tumor response. We aimed to identify breast and tumor Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (F-FDG) PET-CT scan imaging features for the early prediction of BCS after NAC in luminal/HER2 negative subtypes of breast cancer.

Automatic classification of tissues on pelvic MRI based on relaxation times and support vector machine.

Tissue segmentation and classification in MRI is a challenging task due to a lack of signal intensity standardization. MRI signal is dependent on the acquisition protocol, the coil profile, the scanner type, etc. While we can compute quantitative physical tissue properties independent of the hardware and the sequence parameters, it is still difficult to leverage these physical properties to segment and classify pelvic tissues.

Nuclear Imaging Study of the Pharmacodynamic Effects of Debio 1143, an Antagonist of Multiple Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs), in a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Model.

Background: Debio 1143, a potent orally available SMAC mimetic, targets inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) members and is currently in clinical trials. In this study, nuclear imaging evaluated the effects of Debio 1143 on tumor cell death and metabolism in a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line (MDA-MB-231)-based animal model.

Methods: Apoptosis induced by Debio 1143 was assessed by FACS (caspase-3, annexin 5 (A5)), binding of Tc-HYNIC-Annexin V, and a cell proliferation assay.

FDG PET/CT for prognostic stratification of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with first line systemic therapy: Comparison of EORTC criteria and PERCIST.

Aim: Evaluate response and predict prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer treated with first line systemic therapy using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria and PET Response Criteria in solid Tumours (PERCIST).

Methods: From December 2006 to August 2013, 57 women with newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer were retrospectively evaluated. FDG-PET/CT was performed within one month before treatment and repeated after at least 3 cycles of treatment.

Breast Cancer Blood Flow and Metabolism on Dual-Acquisition F-FDG PET: Correlation with Tumor Phenotype and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response.

Early changes in tumor glucose metabolism (SUV) and in tumor blood flow (BF) have been evaluated separately for monitoring breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This study used a single F-FDG dual-acquisition PET examination to simultaneously assess these two imaging features and to determine whether they correlate with the same pretherapy tumor phenotypic features and whether they are comparable or complementary in predicting pathologic complete response (pCR). This prospective study included 150 women with breast cancer and an indication for NAC.

SUV calculation in breast cancer: which normalization should be applied when using 18F-FDG PET?

Background: When using 18F-FDG PET, glucose metabolism quantification is affected by various factors. We aimed to investigate the benefit of different standardized uptake value (SUV) normalizations to improve the accuracy of 18F-FDG uptake to predict breast cancer aggressiveness and response to treatment.

Methods: Two hundred fifty-two women with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) were included.

F-Choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography and Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Detection of Early Local Recurrence of Prostate Cancer Initially Treated by Radiation Therapy: Comparison With Systematic 3-Dimensional Transperineal Mapping Biopsy.

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of F-fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FCH-PET/CT), multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), and a combination of both techniques for the detection of local recurrence of prostate cancer initially treated by radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: This was a retrospective, single-institution study of 32 patients with suspected prostate cancer recurrence who underwent both FCH-PET/CT and 3T mpMRI within 3 months of one another for the detection of recurrence. All included patients had to be cleared for metastatic recurrence.

18F-FDG PET-Derived Tumor Blood Flow Changes After 1 Cycle of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Predicts Outcome in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Unlabelled: Previous studies have suggested that early changes in blood flow (BF) in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and evaluated with O-water are a surrogate biomarker of outcome in women with breast cancer. This study investigates, in the triple-negative breast cancer subtype, the prognostic relevance of tumor BF changes (ΔBF) in response to chemotherapy, assessed using a short dynamic F-FDG PET acquisition.

Methods: Forty-six consecutive women with triple-negative breast cancer and an indication for neoadjuvant chemotherapy were prospectively included.

Near-Infrared-Emitting BODIPY-trisDOTA(111) In as a Monomolecular Multifunctional Imaging Probe: From Synthesis to In Vivo Investigations.

A new generation of monomolecular imaging probes (MOMIP) based on a distyryl-BODIPY (BODIPY=boron-dipyrromethene) coupled with three DOTA macrocycles has been prepared (DOTA=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid). The MOMIP presents good fluorescence properties and is very stable in serum. The bimodal probe was conjugated to trastuzumab, and an optical in vivo study showed high accumulation of the imaging agent at the tumor site.

BODIPY: A Highly Versatile Platform for the Design of Bimodal Imaging Probes.

In molecular imaging, multimodal imaging agents can provide complementary information, for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis or enhancing patient management. In particular, optical/nuclear imaging may find important preclinical and clinical applications. To simplify the preparation of dual-labeled imaging agents, we prepared versatile monomolecular multimodal imaging probe (MOMIP) platforms containing both a fluorescent dye (BODIPY) and a metal chelator (polyazamacrocycle).

Identification of Biomarkers Including 18FDG-PET/CT for Early Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the value of the metabolic tumor response assessed with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), compared with clinicobiologic markers to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Experimental Design: Fifty consecutive women with TNBC and an indication for NAC were prospectively included. Different pretreatment clinical, biologic, and pathologic biomarkers, including SBR grade, the Ki-67 proliferation index, androgen receptor expression, EGF receptor (EGFR), and cytokeratin 5/6 staining, were assessed.

ProstateAnalyzer: Web-based medical application for the management of prostate cancer using multiparametric MR imaging.

Objectives: In this paper, we present ProstateAnalyzer, a new web-based medical tool for prostate cancer diagnosis. ProstateAnalyzer allows the visualization and analysis of magnetic resonance images (MRI) in a single framework.

Methods: ProstateAnalyzer recovers the data from a PACS server and displays all the associated MRI images in the same framework, usually consisting of 3D T2-weighted imaging for anatomy, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for perfusion, diffusion-weighted imaging in the form of an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and MR Spectroscopy.

Role of positron emission tomography for the monitoring of response to therapy in breast cancer.

This review considers the potential utility of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers in the setting of response monitoring in breast cancer, with a special emphasis on glucose metabolic changes assessed with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). In the neoadjuvant setting of breast cancer, the metabolic response can predict the final complete pathologic response after the first cycles of chemotherapy. Because tumor metabolic behavior highly depends on cancer subtype, studies are ongoing to define the optimal metabolic criteria of tumor response in each subtype.