Scoping Review of Targeted Ultrasound Contrast Agents in the Detection of Angiogenesis

A systematic search was conducted to categorize targeted ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) used in cancer‐related angiogenesis detection. We identified 15 unique contrast agents from 2008 to March 2018. Most primary research articles studied UCAs targeted to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor or α v β 3 ‐integrin. Breast cancer and colon cancer are the most common neoplastic processes in which these agents were studied. BR55 (Bracco Research SA, Geneva, Switzerland), a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor–targeting UCA, is the first targeted UCA that has completed phase 0 trials. Our review identifies a gap in the literature regarding the application of targeted UCAs in cancer models beyond breast and colon cancers and identifies other promising UCAs.