18F-Fluortimidine and 18F-Misonidazole, two radiopharmaceuticals that are incorporated inside human tissue and tumors, could be relevant to select the most efficient treatment of patients with breast cancer, according to Inés Domínguez Prado who based her PhD research on studies conducted at University of Navarra Hospital.

Currently patients with early stage breast cancer are treated with chemotherapy before surgery. Studies say that identifying the patient´s response to those treatments could be decisive. Current diagnostic methods used include MRI, ultrasound and mammography. "However, the study shows how the combination of PET and 18F-Fluortimidine and 18F-Misonidazol can help to find primary tumors and even axillar nodes affected", said the specialist.

In addition, they found an important cause-effect link between "PET studies and the different clinical and biological patients and tumors, finding more 18F-Fluortimidine and 18F-Misonidazol in those patients with negative characteristics. "It proved that PET studies with 18F-Fluortimidine and 18F- Misonidazol identified patients who would respond positively to a new therapy against breast cancer", she added.

This is an original study as there is no other scientific paper that uses these drugs to evaluate oncological patients with breast cancer.