Molecular imaging for the characterization of breast tumors

Abstract

Recently, molecular imaging, using various techniques, has been assessed for breast imaging. Molecular imaging aims to quantify and visualize biological, physiological, and pathological processes at the cellular and molecular levels to further elucidate the development and progression of breast cancer and the response to treatment. Molecular imaging enables the depiction of tumor morphology, as well as the assessment of functional and metabolic processes involved in cancer development at different levels. To date, molecular imaging techniques comprise both nuclear medicine and radiological techniques. This review aims to summarize the current and emerging functional and metabolic techniques for the molecular imaging of breast tumors.

Keywords::

• breast
• breast tumors
• molecular imaging
• MRI
• MR spectroscopy
• nuclear imaging
• radiotracers

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Molecular imaging of breast tumors allows a simultaneous assessment of multiple metabolic and molecular processes involved in cancer development.

• Molecular imaging has been established in breast imaging using multiparametric MRI (MP MRI), nuclear imaging and hybrid imaging techniques.

• The combination of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging is defined as MP MRI.

• Nuclear imaging techniques comprise breast-specific gamma imaging, PET/CT and positron emission mammography.

• To overcome the limitations of morphologic and functional imaging techniques, hybrid imaging systems such as MP PET/MRI have been developed.

• Emerging techniques are sodium imaging, phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and hyperpolarized MRI.

• Specific radiotracers to target processes involved in cancer evolution and progression such as hypoxia, apoptosis, proliferation and hormone receptors are being developed and introduced into breast imaging.

• Molecular imaging enables an improved detection, characterization and staging of breast cancer.

Notes