New scanning technique trialled to assess performance of cancer drugs

A revolutionary imaging technique that helps doctors assess the performance of cancer drugs has been trialled in Europe for the first time.

The new metabolic imaging trial will include patients across a wide range of cancer types and will be carried out by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists at Addenbrooke's Hospital, with the first cancer patient in Europe to benefit from this technique having recently been scanned.

Using a breakdown product of glucose called pyruvate, the scan allows doctors to map out molecular changes in patients by monitoring how quickly cancer cells break pyruvate down – a measure of how active the cells are.

This could help to show whether it is suitable for patients to stop taking drugs that are not working for them, allowing them to switch to different ones and find the best option for them.

Professor Kevin Brindle, co-lead based at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: "Each person's cancer is different and this technique could help us tailor a patient's treatment more quickly than before."

Efforts will now be made to evaluate the degree to which this imaging technology provides an accurate early snapshot of how well drugs destroy tumours.