Seeing cancer more clearly: New imaging tool helps Baptist MD Anderson clinicians better detect cancer in the lung

Surgeons at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center are advancing cancer care with the use of a new imaging agent to spot cancer in the lung that might have otherwise gone unseen. The visualizing agent illuminates cancerous tissue during surgery. This allows tumors to be removed with increased precision and in real time, improving patients’ long-term outcomes.

When given via an IV prior to surgery, the imaging agent, called pafolacianine, binds to receptors on cancer cells, causing them to glow when viewed with a special infrared camera. By providing a clearer picture of the malignant tumor, surgeons can perform minimally invasive procedures to remove cancer with greater accuracy, achieving clean margins and reducing the risk of disease’s recurrence. It also helps preserve healthy lung tissue.

In a Phase III trial, published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the agent was safe and helped surgeons better locate tumors that they were unable to detect with traditional methods.

At Baptist MD Anderson, the agent is currently used by thoracic surgeons David Hall, MD, and Subrato Deb, MD, MPH, during lung wedge resections, a minimally invasive procedure that involves removing a small, wedge-shaped section of lung tissue. These procedures are for patients with early-stage small primary lung cancer and for patients with other types of cancers, such as colorectal cancer, that have metastasized to the lung.

It is not unusual for cancers in other part of the body to metastasize to the lungs. “Lungs are like sponges,” explained Dr. Hall. “Their spongey structure provides an ideal environment to trap and grow cancer cells circulating in the blood stream.”

This imaging agent is helping find cancerous tissue that might not have appeared on pre-operative images. “The research is showing that in around 8% of cases, it has helped surgeons spot a second, previously unknown cancerous lesion – and in real time so the tumor can be removed without delay,” said Dr. Hall.

This was the case for Lauretta Gaylord. After being diagnosed with lung cancer, Ms. Gaylord had the lower right lobe of her lung removed. Subsequent tests revealed the presence of cancer cells in her left lung. For second procedure, Dr. Deb gave her the imaging agent which revealed two cancerous tumors, one of which was not detected during pre-operative imaging. “I feel so very fortunate to have received the infusion that helped spot my hidden tumor and that it was able to be removed in one resection,” said Ms. Gaylord. “We wouldn’t have known it was there otherwise.”

“Localization technologies like this are not only aiding in the detection of hidden tumors but also enhancing the precision of their removal,” said Dr. Deb. “We are achieving clearer margins, which results in better outcomes for patients.”

“This innovative tool is just one of the many ways we are using research, technology and innovation to advance cancer care in Jacksonville and beyond,” said Bill Putnam, MD, FACS, medical director of Baptist MD Anderson. “By integrating recent advancements in science into clinical practice, Baptist MD Anderson continues to lead the way in providing patients with access to some of the most advanced treatment options available.”