Photodynamic diagnosis of breast tumours after oral application of aminolevulinic acid
2001
Using a special dye to help find breast tumors during surgery
Sample size: 16
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Ladner D P, Steiner R A, Allemann J, Haller U, Walt H
Primary Institution: Women's Hospital Fontana, Luerlibadstrasse 118, Chur, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Lymph node metastasis of breast tumours will not be detectable by this method.
Conclusion
The study found that photodynamic diagnosis using aminolevulinic acid can reliably distinguish primary mammary tumours from normal tissue.
Supporting Evidence
- All primary mammary tumour tissues showed significantly higher fluorescence intensity than surrounding normal mammary tissue.
- Fluorescence intensity in nonmetastatic lymph node tissue was higher in 2 out of 3 patients than in primary tumour tissue.
Takeaway
Doctors used a special dye to help see breast tumors better during surgery, and it worked really well.
Methodology
The study involved administering aminolevulinic acid to patients before surgery and analyzing the fluorescence of tumor tissues.
Participant Demographics
Patients with palpable breast tumours.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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