Imaging just one week after starting treatment can predict melanoma response to immunotherapy
Source: PennToday, February 2024
While the standard timing for imaging patients’ tumors after immunotherapy is three months, researchers found that imaging patients with melanoma after just one week of treatment illuminated metabolic changes in their tumors that corresponded with a response to the treatment and longer survival, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine.
“Time is always valuable when treating cancer, and imaging tumors early can improve how clinicians develop personalized treatment plans for each patient,” says senior author Michael Farwell, an associate professor of radiology at Penn Medicine. “For example, if a patient’s scan shows a response, they could potentially de-escalate therapy or avoid surgery. On the other hand, if a patient isn’t showing a response, it tells their care team to try other treatment options which could better treat their cancer, and would reduce unnecessary side effects from an ineffective and costly treatment.”
Imaging patients with melanoma after just one week of immunotherapy illuminated metabolic changes in their tumors that corresponded with a response to the treatment and longer survival.