Image-guided combined chemo-thermal therapy assists in optimizing treatment time, enhancing therapeutic efficiency, and circumventing side effects. In the present study, we developed a chemo-photothermal theranostic platform based on polydopamine (PDA)-coated gold nanorods (GNRs). The PDA coating was thin; however, it significantly suppressed the cytotoxicity of the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide template and allowed high cisplatin loading efficiency, arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide (c(RGDyC)) conjugation, and chelator-free iodine-125 labeling (RGD-IPt-PDA@GNRs). While loaded cisplatin was released in a pH-sensitive manner, labeled I was outstandingly stable under biological conditions. RGD-IPt-PDA@GNRs had a high specificity for αvβ integrin, and consequently, they could selectively accumulate in tumors, as revealed by single photon emission computed tomography/CT imaging, and in target tumor angiogenic vessels, as shown by high-resolution photoacoustic imaging. As RGD-IPt-PDA@GNRs targets tumor angiogenesis, it is a highly potent tumor therapy. Combined chemo-photothermal therapy with probes could thoroughly ablate tumors and inhibit tumor relapse via a synergistic antitumor effect. Our studies demonstrated that RGD-IPt-PDA@GNRs is a robust platform for image-guided, chemo-thermal tumor therapy with outstanding synergistic tumor killing and relapse inhibition effects.

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We report here a facile thermal decomposition approach to creating tungsten oxide nanorods (WO2.9 NRs) with a length of 13.1 ± 3.6 nm and a diameter of 4.4 ± 1.5 nm for tumor theranostic applications. The formed WO2.9 NRs were modified with methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) carboxyl acid via ligand exchange to have good water dispersability and biocompatibility. With the high photothermal conversion efficiency irradiated by a 980 nm laser and the better X-ray attenuation property than clinically used computed tomography (CT) contrast agent Iohexol, the formed PEGylated WO2.9 NRs are able to inhibit the growth of the model cancer cells in vitro and the corresponding tumor model in vivo, and enable effective CT imaging of the tumor model in vivo. Our “killing two birds with one stone” strategy could be extended for fabricating other nanoplatforms for efficient tumor theranostic applications.

Purpose. We compared the clinical value of 16a-18F-fluoro-17b-estradiol ( 18 F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)/ computed tomography (CT) and 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG) PET/CT and investigated whether and how 18 F-FES PET/CT affects the implemented management of newly diagnosed estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 19 female patients newly diagnosed with immunohistochemistry-confirmed estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer who underwent 18 F-FES and 18 F-FDG PET/CT within 1 week in our center. The sensitivity of 18 F-FES and 18 F-FDG in diagnosed lesions were compared. To investigate the definite clinical impact of 18 F-FES on managing patients with newly diagnosed ER positive breast cancer, we designed two kinds of questionnaires. Referring physicians completed the first questionnaire based on the 18 F-FDG report to propose the treatment regime, and the second was completed immediately after reviewing the imaging report of 18 F-FES to indicate intended management changes. Results. In total, 238 lesions were analyzed in 19 patients with newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer. Lesion detection was achieved in 216 sites with 18 F-FES PET and in 197 sites with 18 F-FDG PET/CT. These results corresponded to sensitivities of 90.8% for 18 F-FES versus 82.8% for 18 F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosed lesions. Thirty-five physicians were given the questionnaires referring to the treatment strategy, with 27 of them completing both questionnaires. The application of 18 F-FES in addition to 18 F-FDG PET/CT changed the management in 26.3% of the 19 patients with newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer. Conclusion. Performing 18 F-FES PET/CT in newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer patients increases the value of diagnosis equivocal lesions and treatment management compared with 18 F-FDG PET/CT. The Oncologist 2019;24:e1277-e1285 Implications for Practice: This study investigated whether 16a-18F-fluoro-17b-estradiol ( 18 F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) affects the clinical management of patients with newly diagnosed estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Physicians completing two questionnaires comparing the clinical impact of 18F-FES and 18F-FDG on individual management plans in patients with newly diagnosed ER-positive breast cancer confirmed that 18F-FES scans led to change in management in 26.3% of the 19 patients with newly diagnosed ER positive breast cancer. This retrospective study indicates the potential impact of 18F-FES PET/CT on intended management of patients with newly diagnosed estrogen receptor positive breast cancer in comparison to 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET/CT.