The main treatment modality for Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma (PSCC) is surgery with
curative intent. In organ sparing surgery a tumor-positive margin of up to 36% exist.
Tumor-positive surgical margins are an independent risk factor for local recurrence, which
has been reported to be up to 18%. Tumor-positive margins always lead to extra, penile
sparing surgery, which leads to longer hospitalization, higher exposure to anesthetic
interventions and a worse psychological outcome.
Currently, no intraoperative imaging technique that provides real time feedback for resection
margins exists in PSCC. Molecular fluorescence-guided Surgery (MFGS) using targeted
near-infrared (NIR) optical contrast agents like for example Cetuximab-800CW is a promising
technique to accommodate this need. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed
in PSCC and has safely and successfully been used as target for molecular imaging,
particularly for assessment for tumor margins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (ICON
study, UMCG1).