Fluorescence-Guided Surgery in Pediatric Oncology: Current Practice and Future Directions.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Achieving complete, yet safe tumor resections are particularly challenging in pediatric oncology due to infiltrative tumor growth patterns, small patient size, and the close proximity to critical structures. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) enhances visualization of anatomy, tissue perfusion, and tumor tissue in real time, potentially improving surgical precision. While widely explored in adults, its application in pediatric oncology remains limited. This review summarizes current evidence on FGS in pediatric oncology, with emphasis on the unique challenges inherent to this field. Finally, strategies to accelerate clinical translation and assess the potential clinical value are proposed. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted using

SUBMITTER: Simons DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12784766 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature