The investigators will test the hypothesis that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the imaging agent 18F-thymidine (FLT) can rapidly assess treatment response in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
We will test the hypothesis that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the imaging agent 18F-thymidine (FLT) can rapidly assess treatment response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In particular, we hypothesize that FLT-PET imaging will offer the potential of rapidly triaging therapy efficacy within hours to days following the start of therapy start by non-invasively monitoring metabolic changes in the tumor, rather than the conventional approach of waiting months for tumors to grow or shrink on computed tomography (CT). We propose two approaches to evaluate the potential of FLT-PET for assessment of response to therapy in NSCLC. In the first, we will exploit a specific effect (the FLT "flare") induced by pemetrexed, which is first-line chemotherapy for non-squamous NSCLC, to evaluate the utility of FLT-PET to assess successful response to pemetrexed (PEM) therapy within 24 hours. In the second approach, we will utilize FLT as a marker of cell proliferation, as has been done in other cancers, to determine whether chemotherapy has produced a decrease in tumor growth at 2 weeks after starting therapy. Since approximately 70% of patients will fail PEM-based therapy, an imaging technique that could reliably detect PEM efficacy in hours to days rather than months would save valuable time and allow for switch to a more effective therapy.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3
FLT is a fluoro-labelled thymidine analog used as a radiotracer of tumor proliferation in PET/CT imaging. This baseline scan will be used to compare post-therapy FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT.
FLT is a fluoro-labelled thymidine analog used as a radiotracer of tumor proliferation in PET/CT imaging. This scan will be performed on the day of starting pemetrexed therapy (within 24hrs of starting pemetrexed) and used to compare to baseline FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT. The objective is to assess for early pemetrexed induced changes in tumor accumulation of FLT known as FLT "flare".
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Baseline 18F-thymidine PET/CT (FLT-PET/CT)
A baseline FLT-PET/CT will be performed prior to starting pemetrexed therapy. This scan will be used to compare to post therapy FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT.
Time frame: Prior to starting pemetrexed based therapy
Post-therapy 18F-thymidine PET/CT (FLT-PET/CT) to Assess Flare Response
FLT-PET/CT will be performed on the day of starting pemetrexed therapy. This scan will be used to compare to baseline FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT for evidence of an FLT "flare" response to pemetrexed therapy.
Time frame: On the day that pemetrexed therapy is started
Post-therapy 18F-thymidine PET/CT (FLT-PET/CT) to Assess Tumor Proliferation Response
FLT-PET/CT will be performed at approximately 2-4 weeks following the start of pemetrexed therapy. This scan will be used to compare to baseline FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT for evidence of a tumor proliferation response to pemetrexed therapy.
Time frame: Approximately 2-4 weeks following start of pemetrexed therapy.
Overall Survival
Overall survival from enrollment to 12 months from enrollment measured in months
Time frame: 1 year from study enrollment
Progression-free Survival
based on poor recruitment efforts subjects were unable to be analyzed
Time frame: Within 1 year from study enrollment
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FLT is a fluoro-labelled thymidine analog used as a radiotracer of tumor proliferation in PET/CT imaging. This scan will be performed 2-4 weeks after starting pemetrexed therapy and used to compare to baseline FLT-PET/CT in order to assess change in tumor accumulation of FLT. The objective is to assess for pemetrexed induced changes in tumor accumulation of FLT as a surrogate measure of tumor proliferation.