Titles and Affiliations
Athena Distinguished Professorship of Breast Cancer Research
Professor of Medicine, Medical Oncology Division
Physician, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Professor, Clinical Research Division
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Research area
Testing a new imaging method to predict response to therapy in estrogen receptor positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.
Impact
Many individuals with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer can be treated successfully with endocrine therapy (ET), but the cancer can return. Some patients with recurrent disease will benefit from additional ET approaches, including addition of cell cycle inhibitors (CDK4/6i), but not all receive benefit and for those who don’t chemotherapy is currently the only option. Drs. Linden and Dehdashti are developing a method to use PET imaging to determine—within days—whether an individual with recurrent HR-positive disease is likely to benefit from additional ET and CDK4/6i. This test could help to direct individuals quickly to the best treatment, sparing those likely to benefit from ET alone from the side effects of chemotherapy, and avoiding the cost and delay from ineffective ET for those who will not benefit.
Progress Thus Far
The trial opened in the summer of 2024 and is currently accruing patients at 2 sites with a third site expected to activate this year. The goal is to enroll 60 patients in this multi-center trial.
What’s next
The phase two trial will enroll patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer Before, during, and after treatment with ET and CDK4/6i (abemaciclib, Verzenio®) patients will receive a PET scan, using a special imaging tracer, which is designed to reveal if the estrogen receptor is still active in their tumors. Drs. Linden, Dehdashti, and their teams will then assess if estrogen receptor activation correlated with patients’ response to this therapy.
Biography
Hannah Linden, MD is associate program director of the Medical Oncology and Hematology Fellowship Program at Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. She is a breast cancer specialist who treats patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Hutch’s clinical-care partner, and Harborview Medical Center. Her clinical expertise is in hormone therapy, including treatments that target estrogen receptors. Dr. Linden also studies new breast cancer therapies and molecular imaging techniques, such as using PET scans to confirm the effectiveness of estrogen-blocking and estrogen-depleting therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. She is also interested in improving access to care in medically underserved, vulnerable populations.
