Engineering HCC-selective PET agent

Division Of Basic Sciences - Nci

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Liver cancer is ranked second in cancer-related deaths worldwide. Unlike many other cancer types, the incidence and death rate of liver cancers is rising in the United States, with a 5-year survival of 18% (all stages). Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, transplant and resection offer curative potential and have 5 year overall survival (OS) rates of 70%, and 40%, respectively. For palliative local treatments, 5 year OS rates fall to 20-35%. Classic imaging of HCC includes Tri-phasic CT scan and MRI, however, these modalities provide little biological information of the tumors, especially after local ablative therapies, compromising our ability to discern active from treated disease. Our goal is to engineer HCC-selective PET agents that will allow us to define the extent of disease to facilitate screening of in patients at high risk of HCC development, aide in treatment planning once HCC has been diagnosed, and help in selecting patients who may benefit from tumor-selective therapies (e.g. immunotherapy, molecular radiotherapy). We published an important paper, "Advances in radiation therapy for HCC: Integration with liver-directed treatments" this year. We also found glypican-3 as a radiotheranostics target for neuroendocrine prostate cancer. This project was discontinued at the end of May, when the PI departed.