Identification of HER2-Positive Metastases in Patients with HER2-Negative Primary Breast Cancer by Using HER2-targeted 89Zr-Pertuzumab PET/CT

Radiology. 2020 Aug;296(2):370-378. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020192828. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Abstract

Background Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies are successful in patients with HER2-positive malignancies; however, spatial and temporal heterogeneity of HER2 expression may prevent identification of optimal patients for these therapies. Purpose To determine whether imaging with the HER2-targeted PET tracer zirconium 89 (89Zr)-pertuzumab can depict HER2-positive metastases in women with HER2-negative primary breast cancer. Materials and Methods From January to June 2019, women with biopsy-proven HER2-negative primary breast cancer and biopsy-proven metastatic disease were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02286843) and underwent 89Zr-pertuzumab PET/CT for noninvasive whole-biopsy evaluation of potential HER2-positive metastases. 89Zr-pertuzumab-avid foci that were suspicious for HER2-positive metastases were tissue sampled and examined by pathologic analysis to document HER2 status. Results Twenty-four women (mean age, 55 years ± 11 [standard deviation]) with HER2-negative primary breast cancer were enrolled. Six women demonstrated foci at 89Zr-pertuzumab PET/CT that were suspicious for HER2-positive disease. Of these six women, three had biopsy-proven HER2-positive metastases, two had pathologic findings that demonstrated HER2-negative disease, and one had a fine-needle aspirate with inconclusive results. Conclusion Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted imaging with zirconium 89-pertuzumab PET/CT was successful in detecting HER2-positive metastases in women with HER2-negative primary breast cancer. This demonstrates the ability of targeted imaging to identify patients for targeted therapies that might not otherwise be considered. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See the editorial by Mankoff and Pantel in this issue.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / pharmacokinetics
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Breast Neoplasms* / classification
  • Breast Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / diagnostic imaging
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / pathology
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography* / methods
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radioisotopes / pharmacokinetics
  • Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / analysis
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*
  • Zirconium / pharmacokinetics
  • Zirconium / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Radioisotopes
  • Zirconium
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • pertuzumab
  • Zirconium-89

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02286843