Abstract P4-03-12: diagnostic value and clinical significance of integrin αvβ3 in breast mass
Authors: Xu Z , Song Y , Sun L , Sun G , Ma Q , Gao S , Wang K 
Published: August 2014

Background: Integrins are cell adhesion molecules that widely exists in cell surface, it is a hetero-dimeric protein bound non-covalently by α, β subunit. It plays the role of mediation during interaction of the αvβ3 and the corresponding receptor in signal transduction pathway, integrin αvβ3 is much richer in the surface of neovascular endothelial cells and tumor cells, while poor in the blood vessels and normal tissues. Therefore, it plays an important role in a variety of malignant tumors of the occurrence, development and metastasis processes. We find tumors constituted with neovascularization earlier by marker of integrin αvβ3.

Materials & Methods: We give patients who consider as breast mass intravenous injection of99mTc-3PRGD2 as a tracer preoperatively by SPECT/CT imaging and treat with surgery within a week, then make pathological examination with tumor tissues removed by needle biopsy. Then we make a retrospective analysis and evaluation of patients scanned completely by qualitative and semi-quantitative methods. All patients have signed the informed consent form before the test, together with the recognition of the Ethics Committee.

Results: From December 2011 to May 2012, a total of 245 patients were scanned and operated with clear paraffin pathological diagnosis by intravenous injection of99mTc −3PRGD2. Among them, a total of 106 patients (167 developing lesions) were positive with radionuclide imaging results, 139 patients were negative. Diseases of 106 patients are divided into four series: breast cancer, inflammation mastitis, phyllodes tumor and partly with fibroadenoma. They have in common that there is a clear flow signal in and around lesions by color Doppler ultrasound.

Discussion: After study on 245 patients, we created a molecular imaging tool to show expression of integration αvβ3 in order to assess tumor angiogenesis. Integrin αvβ3 plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes of malignant tumor, such as inflammation, tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis etc. Therefore, its high expression is easy to find in cancer, mastitis, most of the phyllodes tumor and part of fiber adenoma with peripheral lesions. For patients with clear imaging, we make comprehensive analysis based on their ultrasound, mammography, MRI or CT results, which can generally contributes to the early diagnosis of disease in clinical. The detection of sentinel lymph node should be avoided for the patients with axillary lymph node imaging, who are clearly diagnosed as breast carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastases. These peptides are not only tumor receptor-targeted imaging agents with potential clinical value, but also laid a solid foundation for further development of receptor-targeted radionuclide therapy to solid tumors. The method marked with high expression of integrin αvβ3 in the tumor vascular endothelial cells by99mTc-3PRGD2 and SPECT/CT imaging mode has a broad prospect in the early diagnosis of tumor, lesion detection and efficacy evaluation. In the future, we may also find the new imaging agent with more accuracy and specificity. We believe that there will be more and more breast cancer patients benefit from the technology development of ECT/CT examination.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-03-12.