# High Performance, Quantitative Breast PET Scanner Integrated With Tomosynthesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $656,496

## Abstract

The long-term objective of this project is to test and refine the use BPET-DBT as a tool for co-registered
molecular and anatomic imaging to direct biopsy and deliver personalized breast cancer treatment to
patients. The integrated BPET-DBT system acquires PET data in the same (mildly) compressed position
immediately after the DBT data acquisition, thereby providing co-registered molecular and anatomical
images while also allowing easy patient workflow. The BPET scanner is a dedicated, high spatial
resolution, time-of-flight (TOF) breast PET scanner producing quantitative images. The DBT image, in
addition to providing superior diagnostic anatomical information, also provides an accurate structural
context to the PET image (necessary for guiding biopsy and/or surgical approach based on the PET
image) and the means to perform accurate attenuation correction (AC) of the PET data. In this project we
will evaluate clinical applications of this novel device using selected cohorts of patients designed to test
efficacy of the combined device for surgical guidance, monitoring response to therapy, tissue sampling,
and further enhancing the quantitative imaging capability of the device both in hardware and software.
 Our aims are to: (1) demonstrate imaging capability and utility of this unique device, with two specific
clinical situations as demonstration (tumor characterization and margin definition, and residual tumor
measurement after neo-adjuvant therapy), (2) develop new quantitative image generation techniques
and to evaluate them both retroactively and prospectively in clinical studies, and (3) test DBT-guided
biopsy using the PET portion of the image set co-registered to the DBT image to direct stereotactic
biopsy. The clinical studies in Aims 1 and 3 will: (i) characterize tumor phenotype and determine tumor
margins using 18F-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) as the biomarker and compare to surgical pathology results
and SUV measurements with WB PET-CT, (ii) measure 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake in
small residual tumor prior to surgery in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and compare
BPET-DBT and whole-body PET-CT SUV to histopathology findings post-surgery, and (iii) perform
targeted breast biopsy using co-registered 18F-FES BPET-DBT images. In Aim 2 we will: (i) evaluate the
performance of the existing TOF reconstruction algorithm in mitigating the limited angle artifacts present
in the BPET images, (ii) develop and evaluate new BPET reconstruction and AC methods using image-
based resolution modeling (IRM) methods as well as Deep-Learning (DL) methods for direct PET image
reconstruction and generation of robust DBT images for PET AC, and (iii) develop and test a new high
performance PET detector as an extension to existing BPET detectors for improved images. At the end
of the study we expect to have demonstrated the role a high resolution, BPET-DBT scanner can play in
the future for personalized breast cancer treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10754573
- **Project number:** 5R01CA196528-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDREW DOUGLAS ARNOLD MAIDMENT
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $656,496
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-04-01 → 2027-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10754573

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10754573, High Performance, Quantitative Breast PET Scanner Integrated With Tomosynthesis (5R01CA196528-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10754573. Licensed CC0.

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