Dr. Shaveta Vinayak

PET Imaging

for Breast Cancer

This clinical trial studies how well fluorine F 18 fluorthanatrace (\[18F\]FTT) positron emission tomography (PET) works in imaging patients with breast cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) who are receiving standard of care (SOC) poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors with or without immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to be able to detect clinical response to PARP inhibitor ± ICI treatment. \[18F\]FTT is a radiotracer that targets and binds to PARP1 which can potentially be used for the imaging of PARP1 expression using PET. Once administered, \[18F\]FTT targets and binds to PARP1. Upon PET, PARP1-expressing tumor cells can be visualized. PET is an established imaging technique that utilizes small amounts of radioactivity attached to very minimal amounts of tracer, in the case, \[18F\]FTT. Because some cancers take up \[18F\]FTT it can be seen with PET. PARP inhibitors work as a targeted therapy by blocking an enzyme involved in repairing cell damage. It may cause tumor cells to die. ICI may help the body's immune system attack the cancer and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Combining \[18F\]FTT with a PET scan may help detect tumor cells better in patients with metastatic breast cancer who are receiving standard of care PARP inhibitors with our without ICI treatment.