Photo courtesy of Inova
Inova Schar Cancer Institute
Inova is the first health system in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic to use an FDA-approved fluorescent imaging technology to help surgeons better identify ovarian cancer during surgery, providing physicians with an additional tool to locate and remove as much cancer as possible during a procedure.
The technology, called CYTALUX (pafolacianine), uses a safe fluorescent imaging agent administered through an IV before surgery. The agent attaches to most ovarian cancer cells, causing them to “light up” when viewed with a specialized camera in the operating room. This helps surgeons identify cancerous tissue that may be difficult to see with the naked eye under standard operating room lighting.
Inova surgeons performed the health system’s first ovarian cancer procedure using the technology on July 8.
“Ovarian cancer can be challenging because even very small areas of disease can be difficult to see during surgery, especially after chemotherapy, which many patients have have started prior to surgery,” said Leslie Randall, MD, Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Inova Schar Cancer. “This technology provides another set of eyes in the operating room by illuminating cancerous tissue in real time. It helps us better visualize disease and supports our goal of removing as much visible cancer as possible for our patients.”
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer in the United States, with nearly 20,000 women diagnosed and more than 12,000 deaths each year. The disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, when cancer may be present in multiple areas of the abdomen. Because some areas of disease can be difficult to distinguish from healthy tissue during surgery, technologies that improve visualization may help surgeons identify additional cancerous tissue in real time.
During surgery, the fluorescent imaging agent highlights cancer cells under near-infrared light, allowing surgeons to inspect tissue from a different perspective than conventional white-light visualization alone. In a clinical study, led in part by Dr. Randall, use of the technology enabled surgeons to identify additional cancerous lesions that may otherwise have been missed in approximately 27% of patients.
"At Inova, we're committed to bringing the most advanced, evidence-based technologies to our patients as quickly and thoughtfully as possible,” said Larry Maxwell, MD, president, Inova Women’s Services. “Innovations like fluorescent-guided imaging give our surgeons another powerful tool to better visualize cancer during surgery, supporting our goal of delivering the safest care and achieving the best possible outcomes for every patient."
