Fluorescent Antibodies May Help Target Colon Cancer

In a recent pilot study conducted by Leiden University Medical Center, a small sample of patients with colon cancer were given a fluorescent antibody called SGM-101 to help identify previously undetected lesions using intraoperative imaging. Although there was a small percentage of patients that experienced adverse events caused by the dosage, the antibody treatment showed a very promising upside – helping to identify 43% more lesions and altering 35% of the patients treatment strategy for improved accuracy.  Reuters Health recently wrote a piece about this pilot study and reached out to Dr. Anton Bilchik for comments, in which he stated,

“The ability to find small tumors missed by conventional imaging has great therapeutic value,” he said. “Many attempts have been made, but none has been particularly successful.”

For additional comments made by Dr. Anton Bilchik and further details regarding the pilot study, please read the full article from Reuters Health:

https://www.mdalert.com/news/article/tumor-targeted-fluorescence-may-help-pinpoint-colorectal-cancer-during-surgery