PRELIMINARY-STUDY OF CARDIAC ACCUMULATION OF F-18 FLUOROTAMOXIFEN IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST-CANCER

The clinical meaning of cardiac uptake of [F-18] fluorotamoxifen was a ssessed. Tamoxifen, a nonsteroidal antiestrogenic drug for treatment a nd prevention of breast cancer, has a cardioprotective, estrogen-like effect in postmenopausal women. We conducted a pilot study of [F-18] f luorotamoxifen to evaluate its clinical; usefulness in patients with b reast cancer. Significant cardiac uptake of [F-18] fluorotamoxifen in five patients was found in the pilot study. We performed positron emis sion tomography (PET) with [F-18] fluorotamoxifen. The intracardiac di stribution of [F-18] fluorotamoxifen was observed and compared with th e patients' clinical symptoms, past history, and results of the electr ocardiogram (ECG). None of the patients had a prior history of ischemi c heart disease. Various patterns of [F-18] fluorotamoxifen distributi on were seen in the heart: one patient showed homogeneous distribution ; two had defects in the lateral wall; one had patchy distribution; an d in one the uptake was questionable. Non-uniform cardiac uptake may b e related to myocardial damage. Cardiac uptake of tamoxifen suggests t hat its cardioprotective benefits may be related not only to serum cho lesterol reduction but also to a direct cardioprotective action. Furth er experimental studies are required to elucidate the pathophysiologic al mechanism of cardiac uptake of [F-18] fluorotamoxifen. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.