Novel Strategies for Breast Cancer Imaging: New Imaging Agents to Guide Treatment
Elizabeth S McDonald1, David A Mankoff1, Robert H Mach2
1Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
The development of molecular therapies for cancer treatment has created a need to image biochemical and molecular processes to appropriately select tumors that express the drug target, thereby predicting a positive response to therapy. Biomarker-driven molecular imaging is complementary to pathologic analysis and offers a more direct measure of drug efficacy and treatment response, potentially providing early insight into therapeutic futility and allowing response-adapted treatment strategies. Imaging also allows a unique means of assessing the heterogeneity of both intra- and intertumoral targets as well as a mixed response to therapy; this information is important in the setting of metastatic disease. Here we review the development of novel molecular imaging probes and combinations of probes to guide therapy for two new targets and associated therapeutic agents: cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors.
Insights
Molecular imaging helps select cancer patients for targeted therapies by visualizing drug targets. This approach guides treatment strategies and assesses tumor response, improving therapeutic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Imaging
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Molecular therapies require methods to identify patients likely to respond to treatment.
- Current methods may not fully capture tumor heterogeneity or treatment response.
- Molecular imaging offers a direct assessment of drug targets and therapeutic efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the development of novel molecular imaging probes.
- To explore the use of imaging in guiding therapy for specific molecular targets.
- To highlight the role of imaging in selecting patients for cyclin-dependent kinase and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of novel molecular imaging probe development.
- Analysis of imaging applications in conjunction with targeted cancer therapies.
- Discussion of imaging's role in assessing intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- Molecular imaging can identify tumors expressing specific drug targets.
- Imaging provides a direct measure of drug efficacy and treatment response.
- Imaging facilitates assessment of tumor heterogeneity and mixed responses to therapy.
Conclusions:
- Biomarker-driven molecular imaging is crucial for guiding cancer therapy selection.
- Imaging enables response-adapted treatment strategies and early identification of therapeutic futility.
- Novel imaging probes are essential for guiding therapy against targets like cyclin-dependent kinase and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors.
