A Prospective Follow-up Intervention Study: Detection of Early Esophageal Cancer by Near-infrared Fluoresence Molecular Endoscopy Using Bevacizumab-800CW

To improve detection of esophageal (pre)malignant lesions during surveillance endoscopy of patients at risk of developing malignancies, for example in Barrett's Esophagus (BE), there is a need for better endoscopic visualization and the ability for targeted biopsies. Optical molecular imaging of neoplasia associated biomarkers could form a promising technique to accommodate this need. It is known that the biomarker Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is overexpressed in dysplastic and neoplastic areas in BE segments versus normal tissue and has proven to be a valid target for molecular imaging. The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) developed a fluorescent tracer by labeling the VEGF-targeting humanized monoclonal antibody bevacizumab, currently used in anti-cancer therapy, with the fluorescent dye IRDye800CW. The phase I study, named VICE, completed within the UMCG, showed that synchronal use of VEGFA-guided near-infrared fluorescence molecular endoscopy (NIR-FME) and high-definition white light endoscopy (HD-WLE), following topical or systemic tracer administration, could be practiced to recognize dysplastic and early EAC lesions in patients with BE. Furthermore, early lesion detection was improved by ~33% using the topically applied tracer approach compared with HD-WL/NBI endoscopy. With this phase 2 intervention study the investigators aim to statistically confirm previous pilot (Phase I) clinical data showing that the combination of HD-WLE and FME using labelled bevacizumab improves early EC detection over the current clinical standard.