Detecting cancer margins during breast surgery using advanced imaging technology
Official title: Multimodal Spectroscopic Imagining for Intra-operative Assessment in Breast Cancer Surgery.
Run by University of Nottingham · NCT06977698 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new imaging system that helps surgeons find cancerous tissue more accurately during breast cancer surgery to improve patient outcomes.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Nottingham Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Nottingham) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 1, 2023 |
| Main results expected | April 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | April 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | July 30, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06977698 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are patients undergoing wide local excision for breast cancer who can provide informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with uncertain diagnoses based on previous biopsies may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This project aims to develop a novel OCT-Raman system that utilizes a selective sampling approach for high-resolution analysis of lumpectomy specimens in breast cancer surgeries. The system employs Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to identify adipose tissue, allowing for focused Raman spectroscopy measurements on non-adipose tissue regions, which are more likely to contain cancerous cells. By integrating deep learning algorithms, the device automates data acquisition and analysis, ultimately providing surgeons with a diagnostic map indicating positive margins in real-time during surgery. This innovative approach seeks to enhance the accuracy of margin detection and improve surgical outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could significantly reduce the rates of cancer recurrence by ensuring complete removal of cancerous tissue during surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using similar imaging techniques for margin detection in other types of cancer have shown promising results, indicating potential for success in this novel application.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria * Patients undergoing breast surgery wide local excision (WLE). * Able to give informed consent. * Any age. Exclusion criteria • Patients where there is any doubt regarding the diagnosis from pathologist as ascertained by previous diagnostic biopsy.
Where it's running
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Nottingham university hospitals
Nottingham, United Kingdom Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Ioan Notingher — University of Nottingham
- Study coordinator: Ioan Notingher
- Email: ppzin@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk
- Phone: 0)115 951 3082
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.