Phase II Multicenter Clinical Trial of Intraoperative Molecular Imaging with Abenacianine During Lung Cancer Surgery.

In 30 seconds

This multicenter phase II clinical trial evaluated intraoperative near-infrared molecular imaging with abenacianine in patients undergoing surgery for known or suspected lung cancer. Across six sites, 89 patients received the agent before resection. Forty patients (45%) had at least one clinically significant event, including detection of lesions missed by standard surgical methods, occult cancers, close margins, or cancerous lymph nodes. The study reported that abenacianine was safe and well tolerated, with no drug-related serious adverse events. The findings support its potential to aid intraoperative assessment during lung cancer surgery.

Key findings

• At least one clinically significant event occurred in 40 of 89 patients (45%).
• Imaging identified lesions not found by standard methods in 33 patients (37%).
• Occult cancers, margins within 10 mm of the closest staple line, and cancerous lymph nodes were detected in three (3%), eight (9%), and one (1%) patient, respectively.
• No drug-related serious adverse events were reported.

Why it matters

Accurate localization and assessment of margins and lymph nodes can be challenging during lung cancer surgery. In this phase II study, fluorescence imaging revealed findings beyond standard surgical methods in a substantial proportion of patients, suggesting a potential role in supporting intraoperative oncologic assessment. The results are encouraging but do not establish improved long-term outcomes.

What to keep in mind

The study was a phase II trial and reports intraoperative detection outcomes; the abstract does not provide comparative or long-term outcome data.