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2005 Research Grants Dedicated in loving memory of
Dynamic Breast Cancer Imaging with PET and MRI
The aim of this research is to develop new methods for improved early breast cancer detection using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). PET, a molecular medicine technique, can image cancer metabolism, while contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI can provide complementary physiological information on even small invasive breast cancers and on morphology of suspicious lesions. The approach here is to administer appropriate pharmaceuticals (F-18-FDG in PET and Gd-DTPA in MRI) and observe how the images of the breast created by PET and MRI change with time; it is called dynamic breast imaging.
It is known that changes in some MRI and PET image features show a close relationship with invasive beast cancer. In order to extract and quantitatively analyze these features, one needs to subtract late breast images from early breast images.
However, due to unavoidable small patient motion during scanning the images must be realigned (registered) before they can be subtracted, otherwise the differential images are not clinically useful. Because the breast is made entirely of various types of soft tissue, the registration is difficult.
We have addressed this problem by introduction of the deformable breast model that relies on detection of the fiducial skin markers that are attached to the breast and are visible on PET and MRI.
With the help of the $50,000 grant from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, Inc., we will test this in the clinical setting. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide physicians with clinical protocols and software tools for improved early breast cancer detection and to reduce the number of retrospectively unnecessary breast biopsies. (Ann Marie Olivia Palladino was a sister of Lorraine Olivia Lavine.)
Dedicated in loving memory of
Predictive Test for Severe Radiation Reaction
This study is designed to determine the feasibility of using a combination of tests to predict severe treatment complications following radiotherapy for breast cancer patients. Combining ˇ°lumpectomyˇ± with radiation is an effective treatment for early breast cancer, avoiding the serious cosmetic problems (and psychological stresses) associated with mastectomy. However, serious radiation side effects can develop in some patients several years after treatment.
There have been multiple attempts to devise tests to predict which patients are most likely to suffer these complications, but none has been successful to date. We propose to use a combination of three very new tests, one of which we have developed ourselves, to address this problem again.
The $50,000 grant from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, Inc. will help us test the white blood cells from blood drawn from breast cancer patients, some of whom have had serious reactions to radiation. The specific goal is to determine whether the interpersonal variability seen in the blood tests is consistent with predicting which patients might suffer serious complications. The data we generate will be used to design a prospective clinical trial. (Lorraine Olivia Lavine was a sister of Ann Marie Olivia Palladino.)
Dedicated in loving memory of
LDH-C as a Novel Blood Borne Marker for Breast Cancer
Breast cancer, the number one cause of death of women aged 40-55, is the most common malignancy in women. Although resection of the primary tumor has shown to be effective, nearly 30% of women demonstrate a recurrence that ultimately causes death due to the bone metastases. Early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, whether in the context of a primary lesion or recurrence and metastatic lesions after resection of the primary tumor, is essential to effective treatment and survival of the patient.
It has long been thought that tumors survive easily in low oxygen environments. Central to this paradigm is the upregulation of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), which provides energy for the cancer with the need for oxygen. Recently, studies have shown that a specific type of LDH is selectively expressed in spermatozoa and breast cancer cells.
Given that LDH-C expression is normally restricted to male tissues, the presence of LDH-C in circulating cells in females may serve as an effective blood test for breast cancer cells. The $50,000 grant from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, Inc. will help us investigate this further. |
