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Molecular pathways and molecular imaging in breast cancer: An update

Authors :
Laura Evangelista
Anna Rita Cervino
Luigi Mansi
Marta Burei
Cervino, Ar
Burei, M
Mansi, Luigi
Evangelista, L.
Source :
Nuclear Medicine and Biology. 40:581-591
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2013.

Abstract

Breast cancer is a heterogenic cancer being characterized by a variability of somatic mutations and in particular by different receptor expressions, such as estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal receptor. These phenotype characteristics play a crucial role in determining tumour response to various chemotherapies and other treatments and in the development of resistance to therapies. Positron emission tomography (PET) as a nuclear medicine technique, has recently demonstrated the advantages in determining the severity of disease and in evaluating the efficacy of treatments in a variety of neoplasm, including breast cancer. Because this procedure is able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, it offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages as well as a patient's immediate response to therapeutic interventions in a non-invasive way. In this paper we performed an extended view about the correlation between molecular factors of breast cancer and PET tracers; in particular, we focalized our attention on their possible advantages in terms of 1) early detection of primary or recurrent cancer; 2) as a guide for target therapies and 3) for the evaluation of response to specific and now-available molecular treatments.

Details

ISSN :
09698051
Volume :
40
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Nuclear Medicine and Biology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....b55ac81e05f0338db10cde7384eeceee
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2013.03.002