Clinical Implications of Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging in Cancer

Abstract

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence cancer imaging is a growing field for both preclinical and clinical application to the clinical management for cancer patients due to its advantageous features, including a high spatial resolution, portability, real-time display and detailed molecular profiling with the multiplexed use of fluorescent probes. In this review, we present a basic concept of NIR fluorescence imaging and overview its potential clinical applications for in vivo cancer imaging, including cancer detection/characterization, lymphatic imaging (sentinel lymph node detection) and surgical/endoscopic guidance. NIR fluorescence imaging can compensate some limitations of conventional imaging modalities, and thus it could play an important role for cancer imaging combined with other modalities in clinical practice.

Keywords:

• activatable probe
• cancer
• fluorescence imaging
• lymphatic imaging
• near infrared

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.