Abstract
HER-2/neu (human epidermal growth factor receptor) is involved in cell survival, proliferation, angiogenesis and invasiveness and is overexpressed in about 25% of breast cancers. Overexpression of HER-2 is associated with response to the anti-HER-2 antibody Trastuzumab (Herceptin). However HER-2 expression can be heterogeneous within the primary tumour and exhibit discordance in expression between a primary tumour and its metastasis bringing into question the practise of HER-2 screening for trastuzumab candidate patients using material obtained only from the primary tumour. Medical imaging modalities using HER-2 targeted tracers (or contrast agents) facilitate a global approach to the determination of HER-2 expression across all detectable tumour lesions carried by the patient and could provide a more reliable indication of the patient’s likely response to trastuzumab treatment. Here is reviewed the development and preclinical (and occasional clinical) assessment of HER-2 targeted tracers along with studies detailing the use of established imaging tracers such as 11C-choline in the determination of response to tratsuzumab for a range of medical imaging modalities including PET (positron emission tomography), SPECT (single photon emission tomography), MRI and optical imaging.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 638-644 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | British Journal of Radiology |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 992 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2010 |
Access to Document
- Prediction and Detection of cancer response to HerceptinEDIT
This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the BIR for personal use, not for distribution. The definitive version of was published in BJR (Volume 83, 01/08/2010, DOI 10.1259/bjr/31053812)