Abstract
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), a less invasive alternative to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), is routinely used in clinic for staging breast cancer. In SLNB, lymphatic mapping with radio-labeled sulfur colloid and/or blue dye helps identify the sentinel lymph node (SLN), which is most likely to contain metastatic breast cancer. Even though SLNB, using both methylene blue and radioactive tracers, has a high identification rate, it still relies on an invasive surgical procedure, with associated morbidity. In this study, we have demonstrated a non-invasive single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-enhanced photoacoustic (PA) identification of SLN in a rat model. We have used single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a photoacoustic contrast agent to map non-invasively the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in a rat model in vivo. We were able to identify the SLN non-invasively with high contrast to noise ratio (∼90) and high resolution (∼500 μm). Due to the broad photoacoustic spectrum of these nanotubes in the near infrared wavelength window we could easily choose a suitable light wavelength to maximize the imaging depth. Our results suggest that this technology could be a useful clinical tool, allowing clinicians to identify SLNs non-invasively in vivo. In the future, these contrast agents could be functionalized to do molecular photoacoustic imaging.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE |
Volume | 7177 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2009 |
Event | Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2009 - San Jose, CA, United States Duration: Jan 25 2009 → Jan 28 2009 |
Other
Other | Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing 2009 |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | San Jose, CA |
Period | 1/25/09 → 1/28/09 |
Keywords
- Axillary lymph node dissection
- Breast cancer
- Carbon nanotube
- Photoacoustic tomography
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy
- Single-walled carbon nanotube
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Mathematics
- Computer Science Applications
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics