Abstract IA12: Fluorescence guided surgery: Rapidly evolving applications

Abstract 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 mm3 in 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.