Clinical Study on the Application of 18F-HER2 Affibody PET Imaging in HER2-Expressing Breast Cancer

September 15, 2026 updated by: The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University
This study aims to evaluate the clinical utility of 18F-labeled HER2 Affibody PET for diagnosing and monitoring HER2-expressing breast cancer. HER2, a protein overexpressed in certain malignancies including breast cancer, serves as a critical biomarker for targeted therapies.The HER2 Affibody-an engineered 7 kDa protein with nanomolar affinity for HER2-leverages its rapid tumor penetration and clearance kinetics to achieve high-contrast PET imaging. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of 18F-HER2 Affibody PET in early detection, clinical staging, and treatment response monitoring, thereby providing novel imaging evidence to guide personalized therapeutic strategies for patients with HER2-expressing breast cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a transmembrane receptor protein with tyrosine kinase activity that plays a crucial role in cell growth, activation, and proliferation. While minimally expressed in normal tissues, HER2 is highly expressed in various malignant tumors, especially breast cancer, making it a key target for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.HER2-positivity was defined with Immunohistochemistry (IHC) 3+ or IHC 2+ followed by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization（FISH） showing HER2 amplification.HER2-low was defined IHC 1+ or IHC 2+ with negative FISH . Conventional diagnostic approaches like biopsy are inherently invasive and lack the capability for longitudinal evaluation of HER2 expression dynamics.The HER2-targeted Affibody molecule demonstrates superior diagnostic potential compared to traditional antibodies, attributed to its enhanced specificity, compact molecular structure enabling rapid biodistribution (achieving optimal blood clearance within 1-4 hours post-injection), and consequent high-contrast imaging capabilities. As a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, 18F-HER2 Affibody holds promise for delivering precise, non-invasive quantification of HER2 status. This study seeks to systematically assess the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-HER2 Affibody PET in tumor staging and treatment stratification, while concurrently investigating its prognostic value through longitudinal treatment response monitoring in breast cancer patients with HER2-overexpressing tumors.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shandong
      • Qingdao, Shandong, China, 266000
        • Recruiting
        • Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population for this clinical trial consists of adults aged 18 to 75 years with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1. Participants must have a clinically or pathologically confirmed diagnosis of HER2 expression breast cancer or suspected HER2 expression breast cancer. A life expectancy of at least 12 weeks is required, along with the presence of at least one measurable target lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. All participants of reproductive potential must agree to use effective contraceptive methods throughout the trial and for six months after the last PET scan. Additionally, participants must be able to understand and voluntarily sign the informed consent form，demonstrating good compliance with the study protocol.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-75 years, ECOG score 0 or 1.
  • Clinically or pathologically confirmed diagnosis of patients with HER2 expression breast cancer or suspected expression breast cancer.
  • Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks.
  • At least one measurable target lesion according to RECIST 1.1 criteria.
  • All participants of reproductive potential (regardless of gender) must commit to using effective contraceptive methods throughout the trial participation and for 6 months after the last PET scan.
  • Ability to understand and voluntarily sign the informed consent form, with good compliance.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe hepatic or renal dysfunction.
  • Pregnant or lactating women, or women planning to become pregnant.
  • Inability to lie supine for half an hour.
  • Refusal to participate in this clinical study.
  • Suffering from claustrophobia or other mental illnesses.
  • Other conditions that the investigator deems unsuitable for participation in the trial.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
18F-HER2 Affibody PET scan
Radiation: 18F-HER2 Affibody PET scan
HER2 Affibody, labeled with PET radio-nuclide 18F will be used as a molecular imaging tracer for PET scan. All participants will undergo 18F-HER2 Affibody PET scan.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
SUV
Time Frame: 2 years
The uptake of the tracer in the primary and metastatic tumor lesions by measuring standardized uptake value (SUV) on PET
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 9, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 1, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 1, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • QDFY-NM-25006

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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