New drug lights up ovarian cancer tumors for surgeons
Inova Schar Cancer has become the first health system in the region to use CYTALUX, an imaging agent that helps doctors identify hidden tumors during surgery.
By Isaac Medina ·
Surgeons at Inova Schar Cancer are using a new FDA-approved drug that causes ovarian cancer cells to glow in the operating room. The agent, called CYTALUX, allows doctors to distinguish between healthy tissue and cancerous growths in real time. It is the first time a health system in Virginia or the Mid-Atlantic has adopted this technology for ovarian cancer procedures.
Ovarian cancer remains the deadliest gynecologic cancer in the United States, claiming more than 12,000 lives annually. Doctors often struggle to see the full extent of the disease because symptoms are vague and no routine screening test exists for women at average risk. In many cases, the cancer is found only after it has spread throughout the abdomen.
Colleen Abbott, a 60-year-old mother from Gaithersburg, was diagnosed with the disease in February. Her initial surgery to remove a uterus revealed that the cancer had originated in a fallopian tube and spread widely. She became the first local patient to undergo surgery using CYTALUX. Abbott has since completed six rounds of chemotherapy and is now in remission.
Dr. Leslie Randall, director of Gynecologic Oncology at Inova Schar Cancer, explained that the drug helps solve a common problem after chemotherapy. Treated tissue can look similar to healthy tissue, making it difficult for surgeons to decide what needs to be removed. Randall said the dye helps identify viable tumors that might otherwise be missed.
Randall noted that surgeons must still exercise judgment because lymph nodes can sometimes light up even without cancer. In clinical trials, CYTALUX helped surgeons find additional cancer in nearly 30% of patients. Randall said this is critical because surgeons typically have only one opportunity to remove as much cancer as possible during a patient's treatment course.
Patients have reported minor side effects such as nausea, which doctors can manage with medication. Most people tolerate the drug well. Abbott said she is grateful for the technology that helped her doctors remove all visible cancer.
The next step for Inova is to continue using the drug in standard surgical procedures for ovarian cancer patients. Abbott is currently recovering at home after her final treatment.
