Those involved in the treatment of patients with breast cancer have pioneered the field of personalized cancer therapy through the use of targeted therapies and their associated biomarkers. Assays to quantify tumor acidosis and hypoxia are hypothesized to potentially represent such biomarkers. However there is currently no gold standard for measuring either.
This trial will evaluate the feasibility of translating preclinical Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI protocol designed to estimate tumor extracellular pH (pHe), to a clinical MRI scanner in women with early stage breast cancer. This trial will generate preliminary data regarding the feasibility of this imaging technique. If successful, in future studies CEST MRI may serve as an imaging biomarker for acidosis and hypoxia.
