Vascular permeability in HPV+ oropharyngeal cancers aids in fluorescent image‐guided transoral robotic surgery using indocyanine green

Abstract

Abstract Background Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent image (FI)‐guided surgery has demonstrated success in improving intraoperative visualization and tumor resections. The objectives were to evaluate the use of IGC in FI‐guided transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCCa) patient ( n = 10) undergoing TORS were enrolled in this prospective study. Participants received intravenous ICG. Excised tissues were evaluated for ICG accumulation, tumor demarcation, and pathological characteristics using In‐vivo imaging system (IVIS), histology, and RNA sequencing. Results ICG accumulation was significantly increased in primary tumor and pathological lymph nodes compared with normal tissues ( p < 0.001). IVIS was 91.3% accurate in identifying OPSCCa in excised tissues; the correlation between IVIS‐ and histologically determined tumor tissues was significant ( R 2 = 0.8301; p = 0.001). Genes associated with vascular and angiogenic signaling pathways were significantly upregulated in OPSCCa tissues. Conclusion ICG effectively demarcates tumor margins in OPSCCa, due to the increased upregulation of genes associated with vascular permeability.