New Nuclear Medicine Technique Could Help Improve the Detection of Primary and Metastatic Melanoma
According to new research, a new nuclear technique for detecting malignant skin cancer, melanoma, has been successfully tested in humans. Researchers found that it could help improve the detection of primary as well as metastatic melanoma. The study has been published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
In the U.S., last year, there were more than 91,000 new melanoma cases diagnosed and more than 9,000 deaths due to skin cancer. It has been found that only 4 percent of patients are alive five years after the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.
The development of specific nuclear medicine imaging helps to detect melanoma at its earliest stages as well as melanoma at its advanced stage, which is critical for improving the survival rate of patients.
The new PET (positron emission tomography) tracer targets melanin pigment that exists in most lesions of melanoma. It has been found that the new PET can also affect melanoma behavior, assisting the outcome of radiation therapy. The melanin production reduces overall survival as well as disease-free survival in patients with melanoma that has metastasized.
Zhen Cheng, PhD, at Stanford University, explains, “While melanin-targeted PET probes have been studied in small animal models for a long time, this is the first time such a probe has been successfully translated into clinical evaluation,” He further states “Our research shows that 18F-P3BZA is safe and, moreover, it is highly promising for clinical diagnosis and staging of melanoma.”
The study included six healthy individuals who were injected with 18F-P3BZA and then underwent whole-body PET/CT scans and blood tests for the assessment of biodistribution, pharmacokinetic, and radiation dosimetry at several junctures after injection. Five patients with suspected melanoma had received 18F-P3BZA PET/CT imaging at 10 minutes and 1 hour post-injection. Also, to compare the diagnostic ability, all patients received 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT scans on the third day.
The findings showed that 18F-P3BZA is quite safe and delineates melanoma tumors.
Cheng mentions, “Given its specific melanoma-imaging capability, 18F-P3BZA is expected to be a new probe which may overcome some of the limitations of 18F-FDG, such as the false positive of inflammation and a substantially lower tumor-to-muscle contrast compared with 18F-P3BZA. Therefore, 18F-P3BZA may improve melanoma and metastasis detection and help guide therapeutic planning for melanoma patients.”
The hunt for improved diagnosis and treatment is still ongoing. Cheng states, “Our findings highlight the promise and importance of developing novel molecular probes for cancer imaging and therapy guidance.”
About Melanoma
One of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer, melanoma is a cancerous growth developed when unrepaired DNA damage to the skin cells triggers mutations, causing skin cells to proliferate rapidly and form a malignant tumor. Melanomas often resemble moles, while some develop from moles. It is caused by intense or occasional UV exposure (sunburn), particularly in people with hereditary influence.
