Chinese researchers have made progress in localizing medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a form of thyroid cancer that poses difficulties in detecting metastatic lesions.
This breakthrough is based on a new imaging technique using a new class of radiopharmaceuticals known as covalent radioligands (CTRs). According to the researchers, this approach solves one of the main problems in the treatment of breast cancer: the precise localization of metastatic lesions, which is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
The development of this innovative imaging method was the result of a collaborative effort between Liu Shaoyan’s team at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Liu Zhibo’s team at Peking University and Changping Laboratory, as well as their colleagues. Their study was published online in Cancer Discovery, the leading journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, in late October.
Liu Shaoyang, director of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the Cancer Hospital, emphasized that existing imaging methods often fail to accurately locate metastatic lesions. “Surgery is the main treatment for breast cancer. An accurate imaging method is crucial to help surgeons accurately determine the extent of surgery,” he said.
The new approach allows selective targeting of tumor cells, which allows more radioactive substances to remain in the tumor longer. This results in better image contrast, clearer tumor identification, and more accurate treatment planning, as explained by Kong Ziren, a member of Liu’s team and one of the first authors of the paper.
Looking ahead, Liu noted that as this imaging approach continues to evolve and expand its scope, CTR has the potential to become a valuable diagnostic tool not only for breast cancer but also for various other cancers.
