Abstract P3-02-03: Quantitative molecular breast imaging for early prediction of neoadjuvant systemic therapy response in locally advanced breast cancer patients
Authors: Patel Miral M , Adrada Beatriz E , Lopez Benjamin , Candelaria Rosalind P , Sun Jia , Boge Medine , Mohamed Rania M , Elshafeey Nabil , Whitman Gary , Le-Petross Huong T , Santiago Lumarie , Scoggins Marion E , Lane Deanna , Moseley Tanya , Zylberman Galit , Saddler Jerica , Leung Jessica WT , Yang Wei T , Valero Vincente , Kappadath S Cheenu , Rauch Gaiane M 
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND: Increasing use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) for early and locally advanced breast cancer led to critical need for development of tools capable of early treatment response assessment after NAT. Tc-99m sestamibi Molecular breast Imaging (MBI) as a functional imaging modality has a promise to detect changes in the tumor prior to anatomical changes detected by mammogram or ultrasound. PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of quantitative MBI parameters to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) after completion of NAT in breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with invasive breast cancer (T1-T4, N0-N3, M0) planned for NAT followed by surgery were enrolled in a prospective IRB approved trial. MBI was performed at baseline and after two cycles of NAT. Patient demographic and tumor biology information (Ki-67, HER2, ER/PR) was collected. MBI images were quantified using a novel approach with corrections for scatter and attenuation and regions of interest (ROI) were drawn over tumors to compute three quantitative MBI uptake metrics for correlation with pathologic response: MBI-specific standardized uptake value (SUV), tumor to background ratio (TBR), and tumor volume. Pathologic complete response was determined based on final histopathology report at the time of surgery as absence of the invasive disease in the breast and axillary lymph nodes. MBI metrics at baseline, after 2 cycles of NAT and interval change were correlated with pCR and tumor biology using the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher’s exact test. Statistical analysis was carried out using R (version 3.6.3, R Development Core Team). RESULTS: A total of 70 patients with median age 47.5 years (range 30-77) were included in the analysis. Breast cancer subtypes were: HER2 negative (ER/PR+) 35.7% (25/70), HER2 positive (ER/PR +/-) 35.7% (25/70), and triple negative (HER2-, ER/PR-) 28.6% (20/70). Change in SUV after 2 cycles of NAT was higher in patients with pCR compared to those who did not achieve pCR (mean decrease in SUV of 15.57 and 4.83 respectively, p&lt;0.001). Additionally, change in TBR in patients with pCR was also higher compared to patients who did not achieve pCR (mean decreases of 1.14 and 0.56, respectively, p&lt;0.001). No correlation was found between baseline SUV, baseline TBR, change in volume, and pCR. CONCLUSION: MBI-specific SUV and TBR changes after two cycles of NAT correlate and may predict pCR in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Quantitative MBI parameters are novel promising imaging tools that may help to detect early clinical benefit and optimize management in patients receiving NAT.

Citation Format: Miral M Patel, Beatriz E Adrada, Benjamin Lopez, Rosalind P Candelaria, Jia Sun, Medine Boge, Rania M Mohamed, Nabil Elshafeey, Gary Whitman, MD, Huong T Le-Petross, Lumarie Santiago, Marion E Scoggins, Deanna Lane, Tanya Moseley, Galit Zylberman, Jerica Saddler, Jessica WT Leung, Wei T Yang, Vincente Valero, S Cheenu Kappadath, Gaiane M Rauch. Quantitative molecular breast imaging for early prediction of neoadjuvant systemic therapy response in locally advanced breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-02-03.