VEGF-targeted Fluorescence Near-Infrared (NIR) Endoscopy in (Pre)Malignant Esophageal Lesions
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
To improve detection of esophageal (pre)malignant lesions during surveillance endoscopy of
patients at risk of developing malignancies, for example in Barrett's Esophagus (BE), there
is a need for better endoscopic visualization and the ability for targeted biopsies. Optical
molecular imaging of neoplasia associated biomarkers could form a promising technique to
accommodate this need. It is known that the biomarker Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
(VEGF) is overexpressed in dysplastic and neoplastic areas in BE segments versus normal
tissue and has proven to be a valid target for molecular imaging. The University Medical
Center Groningen (UMCG) developed a fluorescent tracer by labeling the VEGF-targeting
humanized monoclonal antibody bevacizumab, currently used in anti-cancer therapy, with the
fluorescent dye IRDye800CW. We hypothesize that when bevacizumab-IRDye800CW is administered,
it accumulates in VEGF expressing high grade dysplasia (HGD) and esophageal adenocarcinoma
(EAC), enabling early cancer visualization using a newly developed fluorescent NIR
fiber-bundle. This hypothesis will be tested in this pilot intervention study.