Intraoperative margin check for head and neck cancer using fluorescence and fast analysis
Official title: Ex vivo intraoperative surgical basal margin analysis in head and neck cancer resection: clinical validation
Funded at Illinois Institute of Technology · NIH-11323181 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new imaging and automated analysis approach tests whether the margins around a head and neck cancer tumor are clean during surgery, aiming to help surgeons achieve tumor-free edges more quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Illinois Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 2, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $283,003 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE033449-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323181 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients undergoing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma surgery where margin status is critical for complete resection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing head and neck cancer surgery or where margins are not a concern may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project partners with a Dutch medical center to test a dual-aperture fluorescence system and automatic data analysis that can review an entire resected margin in under a minute. The goal is to improve detection of positive or close margins compared with the current method, which takes longer and covers fewer tissue spots. If successful, the technique could speed up decision-making during surgery and potentially reduce the need for repeat operations. Patients would benefit from more accurate margin assessment and shorter time under anesthesia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may have a higher chance of complete tumor removal in a single operation and potentially fewer additional procedures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous methods are slower and cover fewer tissue areas; this study tests a faster, more comprehensive technique that could represent a meaningful advance.
Where this research is happening
-
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brankov, Jovan G — Illinois Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Brankov, Jovan G
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.