E-ISSN: 1305-3612
    Tc-99m-tamoxifen: A novel diagnostic imaging agent for estrogen receptor-expressing breast cancer patients
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    Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging - Original Article
    VOLUME: 28 ISSUE: 3
    P: 275-284
    May 2022

    Tc-99m-tamoxifen: A novel diagnostic imaging agent for estrogen receptor-expressing breast cancer patients

    Diagn Interv Radiol 2022;28(3):275-284
    DOI: 10.5152/dir.2022.201051
    Anupriya Chhabra 1
    Uma Sharma 2
    Rajender Kumar 1
    Ishita Laroiya 3
    Alka Bhatia 4
    Vijayta Chadha 1
    Rakhee Vatsa 1
    Deepti Upadhyay 2
    Komalpreet Kaur 1
    Amanjit Bal 1
    Gurpreet Singh 3
    Bhagwant Rai Mittal 1
    Jaya Shukla 1
    1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
    2. Department of NMR and MRI Facility, All India Institute of Medical Science, Delhi, India
    3. Department of General Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
    4. Department of Histopathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
    No information available.
    No information available
    Received Date: 26.12.2020
    Accepted Date: 20.02.2021
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    ABSTRACT

    PURPOSE

    The aim of the study was to radiolabel, characterize, and perform in vitro and in vivo assessment of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) tamoxifen for screening ER expressing lesions in breast cancer patients.

    METHODS

    In this study, tamoxifen has been radiolabeled with Tc-99m via Tc-99m-tricarbonyl core. The characterization and quality control tests of Tc-99m-tamoxifen were performed. In vitro recep- tor binding and blocking studies were performed in both positive control (MCF-7) and negative control cell lines (MDA-MB-231). Normal biodistribution studies were performed in female Wistar albino rats. The pilot clinical studies were performed in 4 ER-expressing breast cancer patients. Of the 4 patients, 1 was on tamoxifen therapy. All 4 patients had also undergone Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

    RESULTS

    Tamoxifen was radiolabeled with Tc-99m via Tc-99m-tricarbonyl core with more than 95% radio- chemical yield. Mass spectra showed a peak corresponding to the molecular weight of Tc-99m- tricarbonyl and Tc-99m-tamoxifen. The site of binding of Tc-99m-tricarbonyl with tamoxifen was determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The Tc-99m-tamoxifen showed 30% binding with MCF-7 and only 1%-2% receptor binding with MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Also, the percentage of receptor binding was drastically reduced (up to 72%) when ER was saturated with 50 times the excess molar ratio of unlabeled tamoxifen. In a pilot patient study, Tc-99m-tamoxifen uptake was observed in primary and metastatic lesions. However, no uptake was observed in a patient who was on tamoxifen therapy. The uptake of F-18-FDG was noted in all the patients.

    CONCLUSION

    Tamoxifen was radiolabeled with an in-house-synthesized Tc-99m-tricarbonyl core. The radio- labeled complex has been characterized and evaluated for receptor specificity in in vitro and in vivo studies. Also, this is the first clinical study using Tc-99m-tamoxifen for imaging ER. More patients need to be evaluated to further explore the role of Tc-99m-tamoxifen in ER-expressing lesions.

    References

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