Real-time intraoperative detection of breast cancer using near-infrared fluorescence imaging and Methylene Blue

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner), published as a clinical trial.

Despite recent developments in preoperative breast cancer imaging, intraoperative localization of tumor tissue can be challenging, resulting in tumor-positive resection margins during breast conserving surgery.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 12 patients taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, women only.

Twenty-four patients with breast cancer, planned for surgical resection, were included.

Patients were divided in 2 administration groups, which differed with respect to the timing of MB administration.

How the Study Was Run

The mini-FLARE imaging system was used to identify the NIR fluorescent signal during surgery and on post-resected specimens transferred to the pathology department.

Results were confirmed by NIR fluorescence microscopy.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Biopsy, Needle, Breast Neoplasms, Fluorescence, Image Enhancement, Immunohistochemistry, Intraoperative Care and Mastectomy, Modified Radical.

The authors tagged it with the keywords Breast cancer, Image-guided surgery, Methylene Blue and Near-infrared fluorescence imaging.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) in 12 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 8 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2014 (European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Methylene blue (non-peptide stack partner) compound page, all human trials.