The promise of PET in clinical management and as a sensitive test for drug cytotoxicity in sarcomas

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive functional imaging technique that allows assessment of key biological processes important in cancer development and progression. It provides information complementary to conventional anatomic imaging, demonstrating utility in a range of cancer settings from diagnosis, biopsy guidance, tumor stratification and prognostication, and staging and surveillance of disease recurrence. Its ability to evaluate vital processes in tumor biology also makes it a potentially valuable and sensitive tool for assessing therapeutic response. The development of novel PET tracers and improvements in technology will only continue to augment the potential of PET and enhance its attractiveness as an instrument to facilitate drug development. This article will discuss the above issues, using the setting of sarcomas as an example.

Keywords::

• drug development
• hypoxia
• PET
• positron emission tomography
• sarcoma
• therapeutic response
• tumor metabolism

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Grant McArthur has both grant support and consultancies with both Pfizer and Novartis that relate to the use of PET imaging. David Thomas is supported by a NHMRC RD Wright Career Development Award, and a Victorian Cancer Agency Clinician Researcher fellowship. Kenneth Khamly is supported by the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia HOTT fellowship, sponsored by Roche.

The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

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