Scientists reviewed 21 studies involving 681 women to see how well special glowing dyes help surgeons during ovarian cancer operations. These fluorescent tracers work like highlighters, making cancer cells and important body parts glow so doctors can see them better. The dyes helped doctors find the right lymph nodes 86% of the time and were very good at spotting cancer cells, with accuracy rates above 95%. While most women had only mild side effects, more research is needed to figure out the best type of dye and dose to use.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How well special glowing dyes help surgeons see cancer and important body parts during ovarian cancer surgery
  • Who participated: 681 women with ovarian cancer across 21 different studies from around the world
  • Key finding: The glowing dyes helped doctors find the right lymph nodes 86% of the time and detected cancer cells with 95% accuracy
  • What it means for you: If you need ovarian cancer surgery, ask your doctor about fluorescent-guided surgery, but know it’s still being studied and may not be available everywhere

The Research Details

This was a meta-analysis, which means researchers gathered data from 21 separate studies that had already been done. They looked at studies from medical databases going back many years until September 2024. All the studies they included looked at women with ovarian cancer who had surgery using special glowing dyes to help guide the surgeons. The researchers combined all the results to get a bigger picture of how well this technique works.

By combining multiple studies, researchers can get more reliable results than looking at just one small study. This approach helps doctors understand if fluorescent-guided surgery really works and is safe for most patients.

The researchers used a special tool called QUADAS-2 to check how good each study was. However, the results varied quite a bit between studies, which means we need to be careful about drawing firm conclusions.

What the Results Show

The main goal was to see how often doctors could find sentinel lymph nodes (the first lymph nodes that cancer might spread to) using glowing dyes. Overall, doctors successfully found these important lymph nodes 86% of the time, though this ranged from as low as 59% to as high as 100% in different studies. When doctors did find the lymph nodes, they were very good at telling whether cancer was present - they correctly identified cancer 95% of the time and correctly identified healthy tissue 100% of the time.

Four different types of glowing materials were tested. EC17 was best at finding cancer (98% accuracy), while 5-ALA was best at correctly identifying healthy tissue (97% accuracy). The dose of dye mattered too - medium doses of ICG (0.625-1.25 mg) worked better than very low or very high doses. Side effects happened in 14% to 83% of patients, but most were mild like nausea or skin reactions.

This is one of the first comprehensive reviews of fluorescent-guided surgery for ovarian cancer. Previous research has shown these dyes work well for other types of cancer, and this study suggests they may be helpful for ovarian cancer too.

The studies included different types of patients, used different dyes and doses, and had different ways of measuring success. Some studies were quite small, and the results varied a lot between studies, making it hard to give definitive recommendations.

The Bottom Line

Fluorescent-guided surgery appears promising for ovarian cancer, but more research is needed before it becomes standard treatment. If you’re having ovarian cancer surgery, you can ask your surgeon if this technique is available and appropriate for your situation.

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who are planning surgery should discuss this option with their oncologist or gynecologic surgeon. This technique may be most helpful for complex cases where precise identification of cancer spread is crucial.

This is a surgical technique, so benefits would be immediate during the operation. However, it may take several more years of research before this becomes widely available at all hospitals.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track pre-surgery consultations and questions asked about surgical options, including fluorescent-guided techniques
  • Prepare a list of questions about surgical options to discuss with your medical team, including asking about fluorescent-guided surgery availability
  • Monitor recovery progress and surgical outcomes, noting any complications or concerns to discuss with your healthcare team

This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider about treatment options and surgical procedures appropriate for your specific situation.