Tracers in Gastric Cancer Surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gastric cancer treatment relies heavily on radical gastrectomy.
• Accurate surgical margins and lymph node (LN) resection are critical for prognosis.
• Minimally invasive surgery limits tactile tumor and LN localization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review contemporary tracers used in gastric cancer surgery.
• To outline their mechanisms, administration, detection efficiency, and challenges.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of tracers in gastric cancer surgery.
• Summary of tracer types: isosulfan blue, methylene blue, patent blue, indocyanine green, carbon particles, and radioactive tracers.

Main Results:

• Tracers enable intraoperative visualization, compensating for the loss of tactile feedback.
• Various tracers offer different mechanisms and detection efficiencies.
• Challenges and future perspectives for tracer application are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Tracers are increasingly important for precise tumor and LN localization in gastric cancer surgery.
• Continued research into tracer technology can further enhance surgical outcomes.