DUBLIN, Ohio, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —
Researchers have long used non-proprietary imaging agents such as
18F-Fluoroumisonidazole (FMISO), 18F-Sodium Fluoride and
Fluorothymidine (FLT-PET) to evaluate cancerous tumors. Now,
with manufacturing and distribution support from Cardinal Health,
the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is
conducting nationwide clinical trials with positron emission
tomography (PET) to determine if these agents can be used in new
ways to assess the efficacy of cancer treatments.
The ACRIN trials, funded by the National Cancer Institute, aim
to better characterize cancerous tumors and to help oncologists
select the most appropriate treatment for patients with cancer. The
research also aims to help develop strategies to more quickly
evaluate new cancer treatments and speed the delivery of effective
drugs into clinical use.
The four ACRIN clinical trials that Cardinal Health is
supporting include:
- A clinical trial to determine whether FMISO can be used
as a biotracer to measure the oxygen level (or hypoxia) of a
specific type of brain tumor called glioblastoma. Knowing how
hypoxic a tumor is may help treating physicians determine the best
course of therapy for their patients. Cardinal Health is the only
entity to have a drug master file with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to produce this imaging agent.
- A clinical trial to determine whether 18F-Sodium
Fluoride, a bone imaging agent, can be used to gain information
about how the drug dasatinib may work in treating
castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread to the
bone.
