Optical imaging for improved detection and surgery of solid tumors

Rationale:

This project consists on the realization followed by the clinical validation of a medical instrument dedicated to sentinel lymph nodes identification and localization in the case of breast cancer. An intra operative near-infrared fluorescence imaging camera will be evaluated for its technical feasibility to detect the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients with breast cancer. The sentinel lymph node technique, based on the propagation of cancer cells in the lymphatic system, allows a better evaluation of tumor staging, prognosis and therapeutic strategy determination. The end-goal of this intraoperative imaging instrument, designed by physicians and physicists, is to significantly improve the detection and efficiency of the technique in order to reduce the false negative rate and then the recurrence risk, as well as the operative morbidity. Clinical oncologist surgeons and fundamental physics applied to medical imaging researchers are involved in this project.


Objective:
To test if an intraoperative NIRF camera system can detect a NIRF optical contrast agent for SLN in patients with palpable breast cancer.

To test if an intraoperative NIRF camera system can detect a NIRF optical contrast agent for SLN in patients with palpable breast cancer.

Day of surgery

Patients with palpable operable invasive breast cancer stage I-II undergoing a lumpectomy, combined with a sentinel lymph node procedure, will receive prior to a lumpectomy and SLN procedure an intratumoral injection with indocyanin green (ICG).

During the operative procedure NIRF imaging for detection of the SLN (i.e. ICG accumulation) will take place.