Hannah Linden, MD

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 others who don’t respond will need to go on to chemotherapy. Currently, there is no good way to predict which choice is the best for an individual patient. Drs. Linden and Dehdashti are developing a method to use PET imaging, in order 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 respond to ET from the side effects of chemotherapy, and avoiding the cost and delay from ineffective ET for those not likely to respond.

Progress Thus Far

The trial opened in the summer of 2023 and will open at 2 additional collaborating sites.

What’s next

The phase two trial will be performed in HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients. 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.