Abstract IA12: Fluorescence guided surgery: Rapidly evolving applications

Despite advances in operative technology, intraoperative methods have not improved cancer detection during surgery in the past 30 years. We propose to test the combination of high-resolution/depth-limited imaging properties of optical imaging agents with the low-resolution/tissue penetrating properties of nuclear agents for detection of primary tumors and regional lymph nodes. We propose that combined optical and nuclear imaging can detect tumor fragments less than 1 mm³in vivo during removal of head and neck cancers. In fact, nuclear PET imaging alone may be highly successful - The current standard of care for evaluation and surveillance of regional and metastatic disease in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is FDG-PET/CT scan, which is highly sensitive but not specific. To address this, we show that a head and neck cancer, tumor-specific PET radiopharmaceutical can improve diagnostic specificity in this patient population.

Citation Format: Eben L. Rosenthal, Marisa L. Hom, Goulan Lu. Fluorescence guided surgery: Rapidly evolving applications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Innovating through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2023 Jul 7-8; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2023;29(18_Suppl):Abstract nr IA12.