{
  "id": 15026864,
  "title": "Molecular imaging demonstrates promise for predicting complete pathologic response in HER2-positive breast cancer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/molecular-imaging-demonstrates-promise-for-predicting-complete",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-16T19:40:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-molecular-imaging-pathologic-response-her2.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine suggests that molecular imaging with ⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT may be able to predict complete pathologic response in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. This noninvasive technique can provide an early, targeted measure of treatment effectiveness in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy before surgery. Typically, physicians lack early information on whether patients are responding well to this pre-surgical treatment. The research, conducted by Dr. Yunjiang Liu and colleagues, involved 44 patients with biopsy-confirmed HER2-positive breast cancer. All participants underwent at least four cycles of neoadjuvant therapy, followed by surgery. The ⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT scans were performed at baseline, after the second treatment cycle, and before surgery. The study found that a significant reduction in tracer uptake in the primary breast tumor after just two treatment cycles was associated with a pathologic complete response at surgery. Patients who experienced a ≥61% decrease in tracer uptake had an 85% chance of pathologic complete response, compared to 38% for those with smaller declines. While baseline uptake did not distinguish responders, these findings offer preliminary evidence that changes in HER2-targeted tracer uptake could predict treatment response at an early stage. This could allow physicians to have earlier discussions about treatment adjustments or surgical planning. The study's authors note that further research is needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate whether treatment changes based on PET/CT results improve patient outcomes.",
  "summary": "Molecular imaging with ⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT may provide an early, targeted measure of how well treatment is working in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.",
  "key_points": [
    "⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT imaging predicts complete pathologic response in HER2-positive breast cancer",
    "Significant tracer uptake reduction after two treatment cycles associated with favorable outcomes",
    "Study suggests early PET/CT results could inform treatment adjustments and surgical planning"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}