Toward nodal staging of axillary lymph node basins through intradermal administration of fluorescent imaging agents.
As part of a proof-of-concept study for future delivery of targeted near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) tracers, we sought to assess the delivery of micrograms of indocyanine green to all the axillary lymph nodes following intraparenchymal breast injections and intradermal arm injections in 20 subjects with advanced breast carcinoma and undergoing complete axillary lymph node dissection. Lymphatic vessels and nodes were assessed in vivo. Ex vivo images demonstrated that 87% of excised lymph nodes, including 81% of tumor-positive lymph nodes, were fluorescent. Future clinical studies using microdose amounts of tumor-targeting NIRF contrast agents may demonstrate improved surgical intervention with reduced morbidity.
Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA ; Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA ; These authors contributed equally to this work.
Funda
F
Meric-Bernstam
Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 USA ; These authors contributed equally to this work.
John C
JC
Rasmussen
Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Savitri
S
Krishnamurthy
Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
I-Chih
IC
Tan
Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Banghe
B
Zhu
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Jamie L
JL
Wagner
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Gildy V
GV
Babiera
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Elizabeth A
EA
Mittendorf
Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
Eva M
EM
Sevick-Muraca
(100.2960) Image analysis; (170.0110) Imaging systems; (170.1610) Clinical applications; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging