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NCRI 2016 | The challenges facing the development of molecular imaging modalities in targeted cancer therapy

Arturo Chiti • 6 Nov 2016

Arturo Chiti, MD, FEBNM of the Humanitas University, Milan, Italy, discusses the challenges in modern molecular imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), for targeted cancer therapy. These include problems with availability and the cost. The identification process must be made more effective as there are costs related to the drugs and related to the availability of advanced imaging modalities. There is currently no evidence for whether these technologies can be effective on a large number of patients. The reason for this is that designing clinical trials for these studies is difficult, as recruiting patients for ‘pure’ imaging trials is difficult. The source of this problem is there is no clear benefit for the patients participating in these trials. Furthermore, the different licensing rules for radiopharmaceuticals are hampering the development of these new imaging modalities, and underlining the inequalities in access across Europe. Recorded at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference in Liverpool, UK.