Image-guided cancer surgery: a narrative review on imaging modalities and emerging nanotechnology strategies

• Published in: Journal of nanobiotechnology Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 155 - 23
• Main Authors: Bortot, Barbara, Mangogna, Alessandro, Di Lorenzo, Giovanni, Stabile, Guglielmo, Ricci, Giuseppe, Biffi, Stefania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 18.05.2023; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Biotechnology; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Computed tomography; Contrast agents; Contrast Media; CT imaging; Cytology; Health aspects; Humans; Image contrast; Image-guided surgery; Imaging techniques; Intraoperative ultrasound; Lymphatic system; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Malignancy; Medical imaging; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Molecular Medicine; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasms - surgery; Nuclear medicine; Oncology; Optical Imaging; Ovarian cancer; Patient outcomes; Pharmacokinetics; Precision medicine; Prostate; Radio-guided surgery; Radiosurgery; Review; Solid tumors; Spectrum analysis; Surgery; Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods; Surgical equipment; Tomography; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasound; Italy; Nanoparticles; Intraoperative ultrasound; Tumor targeting; Optical imaging; Image-guided surgery; Radio-guided surgery; Cancer
• ISSN: 1477-3155; 1477-3155
• DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01926-y

Surgical resection is the cornerstone of solid tumour treatment. Current techniques for evaluating margin statuses, such as frozen section, imprint cytology, and intraoperative ultrasound, are helpful. However, an intraoperative assessment of tumour margins that is accurate and safe is clinically necessary. Positive surgical margins (PSM) have a well-documented negative effect on treatment outcomes and survival. As a result, surgical tumour imaging methods are now a practical method for reducing PSM rates and improving the efficiency of debulking surgery. Because of their unique characteristics, nanoparticles can function as contrast agents in image-guided surgery. While most image-guided surgical applications utilizing nanotechnology are now in the preclinical stage, some are beginning to reach the clinical phase. Here, we list the various imaging techniques used in image-guided surgery, such as optical imaging, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine imaging, and the most current developments in the potential of nanotechnology to detect surgical malignancies. In the coming years, we will see the evolution of nanoparticles tailored to specific tumour types and the introduction of surgical equipment to improve resection accuracy. Although the promise of nanotechnology for producing exogenous molecular contrast agents has been clearly demonstrated, much work remains to be done to put it into practice. Graphical Abstract