PET-based dose painting in non-small cell lung cancer: Comparing uniform dose escalation with boosting hypoxic and metabolically active sub-volumes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We compared two imaging biomarkers for dose-escalation in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Treatment plans boosting metabolically active sub-volumes defined by FDG-PET or hypoxic sub-volumes defined by HX4-PET were compared with boosting the entire tumour.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten NSCLC patients underwent FDG- and HX4-PET/CT scans prior to radiotherapy. Three isotoxic dose-escalation plans were compared per patient: plan A, boosting the primary tumour (PTVprim); plan B, boosting sub-volume with FDG >50% SUVmax (PTVFDG); plan C, boosting..

Nitroglycerin as a radiosensitizer in non-small cell lung cancer: Results of a prospective imaging-based phase II trial

Background: Nitroglycerin is proposed as an agent to reduce tumour hypoxia by improving tumour perfusion. We investigated the potent

Data from: Nitroglycerin in non-small cell lung cancer: does it impact tumor hypoxia and tumor perfusion? A window-of-opportunity clinical trial.

Despite preclinical evidence that nitric oxide (NO) donors influence both tumor perfusion and hypoxia, in clinical trials nitroglycerin has not been shown to improve the treatment results of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Biomarkers are therefore needed to select patients for treatment with NO donors. In this window-of-opportunity study we demonstrate the effect of nitroglycerin on hypoxia in patients using repeated hypoxia PET-imaging: we observed a reduction of hypoxia - quantified by uptake of PET tracer HX4- of varying magnitude upon application of a nitroglycerin..