Optical imaging guidance in oncologic surgery and interventional oncology - Review of recent developments in optical imaging

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

Optical imaging has become a key component of medical imaging, providing real-time visualization with cost-effective, portable operation and high patient acceptability while avoiding ionizing radiation. Advanced optical dyes and clinically relevant fluorescent probes, including FDA-approved agents, have expanded its oncologic value from open procedures to minimally invasive, image-guided interventional workflows. This review summarizes recent progress in optical imaging for oncology, emphasizing practical benefits for intraoperative and interventional guidance and for assessing residual disease post-treatment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Optical imaging principles and photon-based mechanisms

Advantages over CT, MRI, and nuclear imaging

Optical dyes and targeted fluorescence probes

Clinical applications in oncologic surgery and interventional oncology

Guidance use cases and limitations

Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript | | HHS Public Access
Author manuscript
Pharmacol Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2025 May 07. | | --- | --- | Published in final edited form as: Pharmacol Res. 2025 February ; 212: 107612. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107612 . Optical imaging guidance in oncologic surgery and interventional oncology Yiming Liua,b, Karim Valjia, Wayne Monskya, Chuansheng Zhengb, Xiaoming Yanga,* a Image-Guided Bio-Molecular Intervention Research and Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA b Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China Abstract Over recent decades, optical imaging (OI) has become an integral part of medical imaging, offering significant advantages over other modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . OI is distinguished by its real-time imaging capability, cost-effectiveness, portability, absence of ionizing radiation, and high patient acceptability. The introduction of advanced optical dyes (including FDA-approved agents like indocyanine green, Cytalux, and Gleolan) has greatly enhanced its clinical utility. OI has shown clear benefits in the management of patients with cancer, originally by open surgery and now extending to minimally invasive, image-guided interventional procedures. This review highlights recent developments in OI for oncology, emphasizing its benefits for clinicians in guiding surgical and interventional procedures. Keywords Interventional oncology; Intraoperative imaging; Optical imaging; Radiofrequency ablation; Oncologic surgery; Fluorescence imaging 1. Introduction Medical imaging is an essential tool for modern clinical practice. Medical imaging systems are categorized according to the different forms of energy they employ, including X-rays for fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT), magnetic fields, and radio waves for magnetic This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)). * Correspondence to: Image-Guided Bio-Molecular Intervention Research & Division of Interventional Radiology Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA S470, [USA. xmyang@uw.edu](USA. xmyang@uw.edu) (X. Yang) . Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. CRediT authorship contribution statement Karim Valji: Writing – review & editing. Wayne Monsky: Writing – review & editing. Yiming Liu: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft. Chuansheng Zheng: Writing – review & editing. Xiaoming Yang: Writing – review & editing, Project administration, Funding acquisition. Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Liu et al. Page 2 resonance imaging (MRI), and positrons for nuclear imaging [1] . The development of these imaging technologies has revolutionized healthcare, allowing not only more accurate diagnosis of early staged diseases but also for prompt assessment of response to various treatments. However, currently, available imaging modalities are unable to provide real-time imaging capability for intraoperative guidance of oncologic treatments by either open surgery or image-guided interventions. It should be noted that the imaging techniques mentioned, such as ultrasound (US), MRI, positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray, and CT are generally used for planning rather than guidance during surgery. However, OI systems have the potential to offer not only preoperative evaluation and intraoperative guidance but also for assessmen

FAQs

What advantages does optical imaging provide compared with CT and MRI?

Optical imaging offers real-time imaging, portability, cost-effectiveness, and no ionizing radiation, while also supporting molecular/cellular and functional information that complements anatomic guidance.

How do optical dyes and fluorescent probes improve optical imaging in oncology?

Clinically applicable, targeted optical dyes and near-infrared fluorescence probes enhance detection and help provide more accurate surgical navigation, including improved identification of deeper lesions.

In what oncologic settings can optical imaging be used for guidance?

Optical imaging can support preoperative evaluation and intraoperative guidance during both open surgery and minimally invasive, image-guided interventional procedures, and it can assist in assessment for residual disease after treatment.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob