Award
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 5R01DE033449-03
Ex vivo intraoperative surgical basal margin analysis in head and neck cancer resection: clinical validation
Recipient
Illinois Institute of Technology
Award Amount
$283,003.00
Ceiling
$283,003.00
Awarded
May 11, 2026
Identifier
5R01DE033449-03
This NIH-funded project develops and clinically validates a rapid intraoperative imaging system and automated analysis to improve surgical margin detection in head and neck cancer resections, aiming to enhance patient outcomes.
Description
In a clinical collaboration with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Netherlands, this project aims to advance and clinically test an intraoperative dual-aperture fluorescence ratio (dAFR) imaging system and an automated data analysis (ADA) approach to analyze resected-tissue basal margins in less than 1 minute for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) resection surgery. The project focuses on improving detection and localization of inadequate basal surgical margins, critical for patient survival, through a clinical study involving 80 patients at UMCG. The approach uses fluorescent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted antibody and automated image analysis to improve surgical outcomes and patient survival rates.