Australian world first in cancer therapy screening

A new approach in the treatment of breast cancer, appears to be a world first for Australian doctors.

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has for the last six-years been conducting a study into the use of positron emission tomography (PET) scans to better predict the success of therapies.

Professor Miles Prince from the Cancer Centre expects the study to change the way breast cancers are treated worldwide as the scans are used to monitor breast cancer patients in order to establish if treatments are successful.

Professor Prince says the scans give an indication of long-term outcomes and if the patient's health is not improving doctors are able to change to alternative treatments far earlier than was previously possible.

PET scans differ from conventional computed tomography (CT) scans because they show the functions of the cells whereas CT scans show the structure of the body.

Professor Rod Hicks, chairman of molecular imaging at the centre, said the use of PET scans to monitor whether treatments were successful was a breakthrough.

With PET scans it is known within weeks if the treatments are working, whereas conventional scans can take months to deliver their verdict on a treatment; time when patients might unnecessarily accumulate the toxicity of the drug or treatment.

The six-year trial of the new technique involved 47 women with aggressive breast cancer.