European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
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Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging · Mar 2003
Clinical TrialTreatment of patients with gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tumours with the novel radiolabelled somatostatin analogue [177Lu-DOTA(0),Tyr3]octreotate.
Medical treatment and chemotherapy are seldom successful in achieving objective tumour reduction in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours. Treatment with the radiolabelled somatostatin analogue [(90)Y-DOTA(0),Tyr(3)]octreotide may result in partial remissions in 10-25% of patients. The newer analogue [DOTA(0),Tyr(3)]octreotate (octreotate) has a ninefold higher affinity for the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 as compared with [DOTA(0),Tyr(3)]octreotide. ⋯ Tumour response was positively correlated with a high uptake on the octreoscan, limited hepatic tumour mass and a high Karnofsky Performance Score. Because of the limited efficacy of alternative therapies, many physicians currently adopt an expectant attitude when dealing with patients with metastatic GEP tumours. However, in view of the high success rate of therapy with (177)Lu-octreotate and the absence of serious side-effects, we advocate its use in patients with GEP tumours without waiting for tumour progression.
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Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging · Mar 2003
Comparative StudyMRI monitoring of tumor response following angiogenesis inhibition in an experimental human breast cancer model.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhanced by macromolecular contrast agents to monitor noninvasively the therapeutic effect of an anti-angiogenesis VEGF receptor kinase inhibitor in an experimental cancer model. MDA-MB-435, a poorly differentiated human breast cancer cell line, was implanted into the mammary fat pad in 20 female homozygous athymic rats. Animals were assigned randomly to a control (n=10) or drug treatment group (n=10). ⋯ Microvascular density counts correlated fairly with the tumor growth rate (r=0.64) and were statistically significant higher (P<0.05) in the control than in the drug-treated group. MRI measurements of tumor microvascular response, particularly transendothelial permeability (K(PS)), using either of two macromolecular contrast media, were able to detect effects of treatment with a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor on tumor vascular permeability. In a clinical setting such quantitative MRI measurements could be used to monitor tumor anti-angiogenesis therapy.