Imaging to guide before-surgery hormone therapy for hormone receptor–positive breast cancer
Precision Imaging of Breast Cancer for Guiding Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy
This project uses a special PET/MRI scan with a hormone-targeting tracer to see early whether hormone treatment before surgery is working for people with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179348 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get a special PET/MRI scan that uses a hormone-seeking tracer called FFNP to measure progesterone receptor activity in your tumor. You would receive a short course of hormone therapy before surgery and have scans before and during that treatment to watch changes in tracer uptake. The researchers will compare these imaging changes with how your tumor responds to treatment to see if the scans predict benefit. If the scan reliably shows early response, it could help doctors choose the best treatment for patients like you.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with hormone receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer who are planned to receive hormone therapy before surgery would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: This would likely not help people whose tumors are hormone receptor–negative, those not getting pre-surgery hormone treatment, or those unable to have PET/MRI scans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors know quickly whether hormone therapy is working so patients get more personalized treatment and avoid unnecessary or ineffective therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Early clinical studies of FFNP PET imaging and other hormone-targeted scans have shown promise, but larger trials like this are needed to confirm predictive value.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fowler, Amy — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Fowler, Amy
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.