ABSTRACT
Multimodality therapy based on surgery is the main treatment method for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and hepatectomy requires the removal of primary tumor and the preservation of normal liver tissue to the maximum extent. However in clinical surgery, it is difficult to accurately identify tumor tissue and its boundary with visual inspection and palpation, which often results in under-resection or over-resection. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is a real-time noninvasive imaging technique with low costs and high sensitivity, and extensive studies have been conducted to investigate its application in guiding surgical resection of tumors. With the development of fluorescence imaging system and fluorescence probe, intraoperative tumor localization and boundary determination can be realized to make the surgery more accurate. This article reviews the development of various NIRF probes for intraoperative navigation in HCC and discusses current challenges and potential opportunities of these imaging probes.