Figure 1
Individual xenograft efficiently guided treatment of a patient with metastatic triple-negative breast carcinoma. (A) In vivo effects of drugs or combination of drugs in the xenograft model obtained from metastatic triple-negative breast carcinoma. Mice (n = 5 per group of treatment) were treated with drugs or combinations of drugs. Tumors were measured every week, from 4 weeks before the treatment started to 4 weeks after treatment. Tumor volumes were calculated at each time-point. The greatest tumor growth inhibition is observed with the combination of paclitaxel and cetuximab (purple circle). (B) Positron emission tomography (PET), maximum intensity projection. The left panel shows baseline PET with intense fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in sub-diaphragmatic breast and lymph node lesions (white arrows); the right panel shows PET after two cycles of combined paclitaxel and cetuximab. There is a marked decrease (88%) of SUVmax (maximum standardized uptake value within the region of interest) in target lesions (white arrows) and thus a partial metabolic response according to PERCIST (PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors) criteria. (C) Fused PET/computed tomography. The left panel shows an image at baseline with intense FDG uptake in a left breast lesion (SUVmax = 17.2, white arrow) and in a subcarinar lymph node (SUVmax = 14.3, white arrowhead); after two treatment cycles (right panel), SUVmax of both target lesions (white arrow, white arrowhead) is below background level.