Investigation Into the Safety and Efficacy of ICG-Labeled Fluorescence Imaging Technology in Guiding the Resection of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

This research focuses on improving surgical outcomes for patients with bone and soft tissue tumors, a challenging area of cancer treatment. Surgeons face a critical dilemma: removing too much tissue can permanently harm a patient's mobility or function, while removing too little risks leaving behind cancer cells, which may lead to recurrence. Current methods rely heavily on the surgeon's experience and real-time visual or tactile feedback during surgery, but these approaches can be subjective and may miss hidden tumor cells. Traditional tools like frozen tissue analysis during surgery are time-consuming, disrupt the operation, and may not provide accurate results, especially for bone tumors, which require complex processing.

To address these challenges, this study explores an innovative imaging technology called near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence guided surgery, which uses a safe, FDA-approved dye called indocyanine green (ICG). ICG is injected into the patient before surgery and glows under special infrared light, helping surgeons "see" cancer cells in real time. This technology has already proven effective in other cancers (e.g., liver, breast, and colorectal tumors) by highlighting hard-to-detect lesions, guiding lymph node removal, and ensuring complete tumor excision. However, its use in bone and soft tissue tumors-a field with unique anatomical and biological complexities-remains understudied.

Key Goals of the Study:

Tumor Visualization: Test how effectively ICG can "light up" bone and soft tissue tumors under NIR imaging, and determine the optimal timing and methods for administering the dye.

Precision Surgery: Evaluate whether NIR-guided surgery helps surgeons achieve cleaner tumor margins (i.e., removing all cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue).