Experts Call for Expansion of Molecular Imaging in Precision Cancer Care

Penn team says finding a way to use these techniques more widely in clinical settings should be a top priority

New molecular imaging technologies can make it easier to diagnose, monitor, and treat cancers while potentially saving patients from undergoing therapies that are likely to be ineffective and playing a role in minimizing side effects, according to experts from the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In a review published in JAMA Oncology, the Penn team says finding a way to use these techniques more widely in clinical settings should be a top priority.

Precision cancer care focuses on identifying the specific biomarkers of a patient’s cancer, which can help doctors make decisions about the best treatment options. A traditional way to learn about the genetic makeup of cancer is through a biopsy—in which doctors have to physically remove tissue from a patient and then examine it. But new molecular imaging, which can be used to complement the biopsy and is noninvasive, can provide added benefit in certain cases, especially when multiple examinations are needed. Read more.