Folate-targeted nanoparticle Paclitaxel Y90 is a biologically-targeted chemoradiotherapy for ovarian cancer and represents a potential novel treatment for ovarian peritoneal metastases, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) last week in Orlando, Fla.

Overall cancer incidence in the U.S. decreased by nearly 1 percent per year between 2003 and 2007, with mortality falling by twice that figure across all four years, thanks largely to advances in diagnostic imaging, showed the findings of a report published in the April edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

One of the most promising radiopharmaceuticals is the proliferation marker 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F] fluorothymidine (18F-FLT). Here we discuss examples that could begin to move into clinics over the next two years or more to better predict early response to treatment in ovarian cancer and gliomas, evaluate bone marrow transplant and visualize stem cells in the brain.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging with molecularly targeted microbubbles allowed noninvasive in vivo assessment of a_vB₃ integrin, endoglin and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 expression levels, which vary during tumor growth in subcutaneous cancer xenografts, based on a mouse model study in the March issue of Radiology. The researchers suggested their results may help define promising imaging targets for both early cancer detection and treatment monitoring.