Utilizing Positron Emission Tomography to Detect Functional Changes Following Drug Therapy in a Renal Cell Carcinoma Mouse Model

• Author / Creator

  Chapman, David W

• Sunitinib is currently the first line drug therapy for metastasizing renal cell carcinoma (RCC). It has been shown to have a profound effect on tumor angiogenesis leading to modifications of the tumor’s microenvironment. Tumor hypoxia plays an important role in the metastatic potential of a solid tumor and its resistance to any chemotherapy. Therefore, monitoring tumor hypoxia could potentially be used to detect and analyze therapeutic response. The present study utilized Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) to determine changes in tumor oxygenation during and following sunitinib therapy in a mouse RCC tumor model. Uptake of [18F]FAZA tended to decrease during therapy of sunitinib, indicating a decrease in the tumor’s hypoxia. However, after stopping drug therapy in tumor-bearing mice, this effect was reversed and tumor hypoxia was increased. [18F]FAZA could potentially be used to monitor drug response of sunitinib therapy for RCC.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Positron emission tomography
  • Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
  • Hypoxia
  • Renal cell carcinoma

• Graduation date

  Spring 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3T63H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.