Researchers in Seattle have found PET scans help assess the effectiveness of various forms of hormone therapy for treating breast cancer patients. They suggest the technology can measure in vivo pharmacodynamics and help new drug development.
The small scale study was published in July 2011 in Clinical Cancer Research by scientists working with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Its authors noted that PET scans proved drugs that blocked estrogen receptors worked better than drugs that just eliminated estrogen by withholding female
Such results had been expected by the researchers but have never been shown before using this technique.
“What we’re suggesting in the paper — that we couldn’t fully test for before — is if estrogen is incompletely blocked you’re not getting a good outcome for the patient,” said Dr. Hannah Linden, the corresponding author and a breast oncologist with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
30 breast cancer patients whose cancers had metastasized, or spread, were examined during the study. They were given PET scans before, during and after their treatment, and 18F-fluoroestradiol (FES) was used as it attaches itself to estrogen receptors and emits gamma rays that the PET scanner then picks up.
Treatment methods included estrogen-blockers such as fulvestrant or tamoxifen, or estrogen-depleters like aromase inhibitors.
Estrogen blockers prevent cancer cells from utilizing estrogen and estrogen inhibitors bring down the volume of estrogen that the body produces. The latter can only be used in post-menopausal women because they fail to block ovarian estrogen production.
Angeles Hospital in Mexico
Whilst some traditional treatment methods are used at Angeles hospital in Mexico, the majority of work goes into applying alternative cancer treatment methods to patients. The hospital has had an impressive survival rate which you can fill in the form on the right to find more information on.
