Intraoperative Tumor Detection Using Pafolacianine

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, pp. 12842

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with increasing numbers of new cases each year. For the vast majority of cancer patients, surgery is the most effective procedure for the complete removal of the malignant tissue. However, relapse due to the incomplete resection of the tumor occurs very often, as the surgeon must rely primarily on visual and tactile feedback. Intraoperative near-infrared imaging with pafolacianine is a newly developed technology designed for cancer detection during surgery, which has been proven to show excellent results in terms of safety and efficacy. Therefore, pafolacianine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 29 November 2021, as an additional approach that can be used to identify malignant lesions and to ensure the total resection of the tumors in ovarian cancer patients. Currently, various studies have demonstrated the positive effects of pafolacianine's use in a wide variety of other malignancies, with promising results expected in further research. This review focuses on the applications of the FDA-approved pafolacianine for the accurate intraoperative detection of malignant tissues. The cancer-targeting fluorescent ligands can shift the paradigm of surgical oncology by enabling the visualization of cancer lesions that are difficult to detect by inspection or palpation. The enhanced detection and removal of hard-to-detect cancer tissues during surgery will lead to remarkable outcomes for cancer patients and society, specifically by decreasing the cancer relapse rate, increasing the life expectancy and quality of life, and decreasing future rates of hospitalization, interventions, and costs.

Authors 4

1. Mihaela Elisabeta Dindere

   Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy · Institutul National Victor Babes

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania

   Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania

2. Antoanela Tanca

   Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy · Institutul National Victor Babes

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania

   Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania

3. Elisa Anamaria Liehn corresponding

   University of Southern Denmark · Institutul National Victor Babes

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark

   Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania

4. Octavian Bucur corresponding

   Institutul National Victor Babes

   Affiliation as printed

   Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania

   Viron Molecular Medicine Institute, Boston, MA 02108, USA