Upper gastrointestinal cancers are associated with poor prognosis due to high incidence of locoregional recurrence and metastases.
Esophageal cancer is the 6th leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide.2 It may metastasize even in the early stage of the disease due to the dense lymph-capillary network.6 Esophageal Cancer has very poor prognosis, particularly for patients with lymph node metastasis. The presence of micrometastasis was correlated with disease recurrence and poor outcome in esophageal cancer.7
Examining more lymph nodes increases the 5-year overall survival benefit by 19%.
Patients with ≥33 examined lymph nodes have an additional survival benefit of 19% compared to those with <33 examined lymph nodes.8 This highlights the need for a detection system that improves identification of potential high-risk nodes.
FerroTrace®, a novel nanoparticle technology designed to enable accurate detection of high-risk lymph nodes and early identification of metastatic spread.
Precise detection of lymph node metastasis is critical for accurate staging and subsequent optimal treatment selection in patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers. FerroTrace® is designed to support clinical decision-making by enabling precise mapping of the lymphatic network and accurate identification of high-risk nodes, providing valuable information to guide treatment planning.
FerroTrace® is a mannose-labelled iron-oxide nanoparticle which is designed for uptake into the lymphatic system and to be retained in high-risk lymph nodes. FerroTrace® is designed to be optionally used in conjunction with infrared dyes during surgery to enhance intra-operative visualization of the lymphatic network and localization of high-risk lymph nodes.9
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted iron-oxide nanoparticles have been developed to enhance molecular MRI capabilities and have demonstrated better imaging performance compared with prostate-specific membrane antigen-PET in delineating tumor margins in pre-clinical tumor models.10
FerroTrace® is an accurate and durable tracer with potential application before, during and after surgery.
FerroTrace® has been designed to have high specificity to high-risk lymph nodes due to macrophage binding between the CD206 receptor and the tracer’s mannose label.9,11
FerroTrace® has extented retention in the nodes and therefore eliminates time-sensitive logistical issues associated with radiotracers. Upon delivery, FerroTrace® is visible within minutes with the potential for retention up to 6 months.
Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy affects the sensitivity and accuracy of the identification of high-risk lymph nodes using conventional dye or radiotracer techniques12,13 during surgery, as radiation damages the lymphatic network. The extended retention of FerroTrace® enables an added capability of injecting FerroTrace® before neoadjuvant treatment, thereby providing better mapping of high-risk lymph nodes that guides radiation and surgical planning.
Compared with FerroTrace®, blue dyes are non-specific and flow rapidly through multiple levels of lymph nodes.9 Radiocolloid tracers require careful handling and have a narrow window of use. High concentration of radiocolloid tracers at the injection site may obscure lymph nodes signal when they are located closely to the primary tumor.9 In contrast, FerroTrace® is easy to use, radiation free with demonstrated efficacy as a lymphatic tracer.
Ferronova has developed a surgical oncology tracer system that aims to improve the treatment guidance and staging of complex cancers and help increase survival rates.
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