A new technique that combines highly detailed, real-time images of inside the body with a type of infrared light has, for the first time, been used during surgery to differentiate between cancerous tumours and healthy tissue.
The pioneering technique, demonstrated in mice, has been developed by engineers at the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS) at UCL and surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Researchers say, the development could have implications for treating neuroblastoma, which is the most common form of solid cancer tumour, other than brain tumours, found in children. Standard treatment typically involves surgery to completely remove cancerous cells, which can be difficult to see as they look similar to the surrounding healthy tissue.
The team wanted to test whether they could improve the visual quality of images, by using a ‘new’ type of light, short wave infrared light (SWIR), that has only recently become accessible to scientists through new technology.
For this, they used a special high-definition camera to capture SWIR fluorescence. SWIR is invisible to the naked eye and has a longer wavelength than visible light, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the tissue to provide sharper, more detailed images. Using this technique, surgeons were able to distinguish between cancerous tumors and healthy tissue during the preclinical tests.
Team leader Dr Stefano Giuliani, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Associate Professor at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said: “Surgery to remove neuroblastoma requires a delicate balance. Remove too little and the tumor might grow back, but remove too much and the surgeon risks damaging the surrounding blood vessels, nerves, and other healthy organs. This technique effectively lights up the tumor, allowing surgeons to remove it with unprecedented precision. We hope to be able to translate this innovative technology into clinical practice at GOSH as soon as possible to benefit the largest number of children with cancerous tumors.”
Neuroblastoma is a devasting childhood cancer and accounts for 8-10% of all childhood cancers and around 15% of childhood deaths from cancer. In around a third of patients, cancer has already spread to other parts of the body at the time of diagnosis, making it harder to treat.
Unlike X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which focuses on organs and bones, molecular imaging produces detailed pictures of biological processes and can be done live during surgery, meaning clinical teams don’t have to wait for biopsy or culture results when screening for diseases. The SWIR enhances the images in real-time.
