PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sietske B.M. Gaykema AU - Adrienne H. Brouwers AU - Marjolijn N. Lub-de Hooge AU - Rick G. Pleijhuis AU - Hetty Timmer-Bosscha AU - Linda Pot AU - Gooitzen M. van Dam AU - Sibylle B. van der Meulen AU - Johan R. de Jong AU - Joost Bart AU - Jakob de Vries AU - Liesbeth Jansen AU - Elisabeth G.E. de Vries AU - Carolien P. Schröder TI - <sup>89</sup>Zr-Bevacizumab PET Imaging in Primary Breast Cancer AID - 10.2967/jnumed.112.117218 DP - 2013 Jul 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine PG - 1014--1018 VI - 54 IP - 7 4099 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/54/7/1014.short 4100 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/54/7/1014.full SO - J Nucl Med2013 Jul 01; 54 AB - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A is overexpressed in most malignant and premalignant breast lesions. VEGF-A can be visualized noninvasively with PET imaging and using the tracer 89Zr-labeled bevacizumab. In this clinical feasibility study, we assessed whether VEGF-A in primary breast cancer can be visualized by 89Zr-bevacizumab PET. Methods: Before surgery, breast cancer patients underwent a PET/CT scan of the breasts and axillary regions 4 d after intravenous administration of 37 MBq of 89Zr-bevacizumab per 5 mg. PET images were compared with standard imaging modalities. 89Zr-bevacizumab uptake was quantified as the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). VEGF-A levels in tumor and normal breast tissues were assessed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Results: Twenty-five of 26 breast tumors (mean size ± SD, 25.1 ± 19.8 mm; range, 4–80 mm) in 23 patients were visualized. SUVmax was higher in tumors (1.85 ± 1.22; range, 0.52–5.64) than in normal breasts (0.59 ± 0.37; range, 0.27–1.69; P &lt; 0.001). The only tumor not detected on PET was 10 mm in diameter. Lymph node metastases were present in 10 axillary regions; 4 could be detected with PET (SUVmax, 2.66 ± 2.03; range, 1.32–5.68). VEGF-A levels in the 17 assessable tumors were higher than in normal breast tissue in all cases (VEGF-A/mg protein, 184 ± 169 pg vs. 10 ± 21 pg; P = 0.001), whereas 89Zr-bevacizumab tumor uptake correlated with VEGF-A tumor levels (r = 0.49). Conclusion: VEGF-A in primary breast cancer can be visualized by means of 89Zr-bevacizumab PET.