Fluorescence imaging IDs residual tumor in lumpectomy cavity fast

Lumicell (Wellesley, MA) has published further clinical data demonstrating rapid and direct identification of residual tumor in the lumpectomy cavities of breast cancer patients during surgery with its LUM System, a fluorescence imaging for tumor detection.

The results, which were published by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH; Boston, MA) in the July 2018 issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, further support Phase 2 data presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in December 2017 showing complete and instantaneous detection of residual cancer in the tumor cavity and the ability to detect all breast cancer subtypes with the integrated LUM system. The system integrates the immuno- and cancer-targeted optical agent LUM015, the company's handheld imaging device, and decision software to detect cancer cells in real time during surgery.

Related: Fluorescence system correctly identifies residual cancer cells across breast cancer subtypes

In the paper describing the work, Barbara Smith, MD, Ph.D., director of the Breast Program at MGH and Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and colleagues from MGH demonstrate that the LUM System provided high sensitivity for tumor detection, rapid assessment of the entire lumpectomy cavity, and precise identification of sites of tumor in the lumpectomy cavity wall with no adverse effects. In addition, no significant background autofluorescence was detected in benign human breast tissue, supporting the use of a fluorescence-based strategy for lumpectomy margin assessment.

"With current histopathology-based margin assessment technology, 20-40% of breast cancer lumpectomy patients have positive surgical margins that require a second surgery to achieve clear margins," says Kelly Londy, Lumicell's CEO. "In contrast, the LUM System can directly identifying sites of residual tumor for excision and can be used repeatedly during that first surgery until no residual tumor signal remains."

For more information, please visit www.lumicell.com.