A Protease-Activated Fluorescent Probe Allows Rapid Visualization of Keratinocyte Carcinoma During Excision

Keratinocyte carcinomas, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas, are the most common human cancers worldwide. While 75% of all keratinocyte carcinoma (4 million annual cases in the United States) are treated with conventional excision, this surgical modality has much lower cure rates than Mohs micrographic surgery, likely due to the bread-loaf histopathologic assessment that visualizes Significance: A fluorescent-probe-tumor-visualization platform was developed and validated in human keratinocyte carcinoma excision specimens that may provide simple, rapid, and global assessment of margins during skin cancer excision, allowing same-day reexcision when needed.