Good afternoon,
I have access to my PET scan results and the word ‘avidity’ is used throughout. I have googled it and found this:
Blockquote
Avidity in cancer can refer to the strength of binding interactions between cells: (…) the total force between multiple parallel interactions between cells, such as cell adhesion proteins, TCR clustering, and co-receptor binding. Cell avidity analysis can help researchers identify and characterize cells that attack tumour cells.
Blockquote
I also read this:
Blockquote
Avidity, however, is the accumulated strength of multiple affinities summed up from multiple binding interactions and is commonly referred to as a functional affinity.
Blockquote
I’m afraid I don’t really understand what this means. Could you please explain this to me in layman’s terms? Is high avidity a good thing i.e. something that helps fight cancer cells?
I do not have thyroid cancer / mets so iodine wouldn’t apply here I think.
Thank you very much.
Hi Spoutnik
Thank you for posting.
The language used when scans are reported can often be confusing. It’s important to speak to your treatment team about the result of your scan to help you know what the scan shows.
Generally, in PET scans high avidity is often considered beneficial depending on the context. In cancer imaging, avidity refers to the strength with which a tracer binds to its target. High avidity can help the detection of small or early-stage cancers. It can also make it easier to see the difference between cancerous and healthy tissue.
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