07 Jun GE begins human trials for cancer detection agent
Madison, Wis. – Medical imaging technology provider GE Healthcare announced it has begun clinical trials of a new molecular imaging agent for the detection of cancer.
The agent, which uses positron emission tomography (PET), is designed to track the process of angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels in the body. It will be used to quantify therapy for Stage IV metastatic tumors in breast cancer patients, before and after chemotherapy.
In a PET treatment, patients are injected with small amounts of radiopharmaceuticals, which create images of tissue chemical changes that could be early warning signs of cancer. Uses for the radiopharmaceuticals include spotting changes in glucose metabolism, monitoring the effectiveness of drug therapy during cancer treatments, and tracking whether tumors are diverting new blood vessels to sustain their growth.
The research is being overseen at the Hammersmith Hospital in London by David Brooks, chief medical officer of GE Imanet, which handles GE Healthcare’s international network of imaging research centers.
GE Healthcare is a division of General Electric. The company manufactures medical imaging technology at its Waukesha headquarters, GE Healthcare Technologies, and its Milwaukee location, GE Healthcare Information Technologies.
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