The aim of this study is to assess feasibility of a new imaging technology in the management of breast cancer - Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis - Magnetic Resonance imaging (TMEM-MRI).
The primary objective of this study is to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based method for assessing TMEM-mediated permeability associated with cancer cell dissemination in breast cancer patients. TMEM-MRI has the ability to detect tumor areas with more leakiness (perfusion), where cancer cells enter blood vessels to travel to other sites. This novel TMEM-MRI has potential to be used in clinical practice to identify tumors with high leakiness that might have higher chances to recur after breast cancer treatment. In addition, TMEM-MRI can potentially be used to assess response to preoperative treatments (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy) over time. In a prior study, it was found that patients with high TMEM doorway score, compared to patients with mid/low TMEM doorway score, in their residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy, had worse distant relapse-free survival (p = 0.008). These results demonstrated that TMEM doorway density after neoadjuvant therapy is a prognostic biomarker of breast cancer outcomes. In the initial development of the proposed TMEM MRI in humans, the tumor microenvironment is naïve to treatment. However, neoadjuvant therapy may affect the tumor microenvironment which could affect vascular anatomy - a key component of the TMEM MRI algorithm. Therefore, the study team aims to assess the correlation between TMEM doorway density and TMEM MRI activity after neoadjuvant therapy (Pilot Cohort C).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
95
TMEM MRI INFORMATION: Unilateral breast MRI will be obtained on a 3.0T whole body MRI scanner with a dedicated breast radiofrequency coil. The patient will be scanned in the prone position with an in-dwelling IV catheter for a single dose contrast agent injection.
FNA: The patients who are recruited prior to biopsy (Cohort A) will have had TMEM-MRI performed prior to biopsy. They will then present to radiology for ultrasound-guided core biopsy of the breast mass. FNA will be performed during this procedure. The FNA will be performed after local anesthetic is administered but prior to insertion of the core biopsy needle. FNA will be performed by the radiologist under direct sonographic visualization of the mass. Five passes will be obtained with a 25-gauge needle. The FNA material will be expelled into 1.5 ml Eppendorf tube containing phosphate buffered saline with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).
Montefiore Medical Center
The Bronx, New York, United States
RECRUITINGTumor permeability assessed by TMEM-MRI
Tumor permeability will be assessed by TMEM-MRI, and is defined as a number of Uth units (the number of tumor voxels with permeability density above threshold divided by the number of all tumor voxels) that will be obtained from the permeability map and TMEM-MRI algorithm.
Time frame: Cohort B: ~14 days following breast biopsy and signing of consent. Cohort C: After neoadjuvant therapy and signing of consent and 0-56 days before surgery
TMEM density in breast cancer patients
TMEM density is defined as the number of TMEM units visualized by triple immunohistochemistry in 10 high power fields (40X). TMEM density will be measured with a fully automated and scalable clinical assay for identification and enumeration of TMEM utilizing digital pathology methods coupled with image analysis
Time frame: Cohort B: ~14 days following breast biopsy and consent. Cohort C: After neoadjuvant therapy and signing of consent analyses. Conducted on tissue sections from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimen resected for therapeutic purposes
MenaCalc
MenaCalc is calculated by subtracting the Z-score value of Mena11a from the Z-score value of pan-Mena, obtained by quantitative immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast tumor specimens. MenaCalc can also be measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in cancer cells obtained by FNA
Time frame: Cohort B: ~14 days following breast biopsy and consent. Cohort C: After neoadjuvant therapy and signing of consent analyses. Conducted on tissue sections from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimen resected for therapeutic purposes
MenaInv
MenaInv is calculated as pixel intensity obtained by quantitative immunofluorescence per area of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. MenaINV can also be measured by qRT-PCR in cancer cells obtained by FNA
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Time frame: Cohort B: ~14 days following breast biopsy and consent. Cohort C: After neoadjuvant therapy and signing of consent analyses. Conducted on tissue sections from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimen resected for therapeutic purposes
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs)
CTCs will detected and enumerated from peripheral blood samples using EPIC sciences or RareCyte platform. Patients will undergo venipuncture to obtain specimen for CTC assays. Specimens will be shipped to EPIC sciences (using CTC liquid biopsy blood collection kit) or the University of Southern California (using RareCyte collection kit) to be processed and analyzed as per respective protocols. CTCs will be measured +/- 3 days of TMEM-MRI. Group mean results in number of cells/mL of peripheral blood will be reported for patients in pilot phase Cohort B and pilot phase Cohort C.
Time frame: Cohort B: ~14 days following breast biopsy and signing of consent. Cohort C: After neoadjuvant therapy and consent and 0-56 days before surgery