An Optimized Ultrasound Twinkling Marker for the Imaging of Lymph Nodes in Patients With Clinically Node-Positive Breast Cancer, The UTMOST2 Trial

This phase I trial studies the performance, including ultrasound visibility, of an optimized ultrasound twinkling marker in imaging lymph nodes in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer. In patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer, biopsy markers are used to identify the sites of cancer involvement in both the breasts and lymph nodes. These biopsy markers are critical for guiding surgical management many months after the marker is placed. For breast radiologists and breast surgeons, there is a need for simple, consistent visibility of biopsy markers by ultrasound, particularly several months after marker placement. Ultrasound is the imaging method of choice, particularly for lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla). Ultrasound is non-ionizing and is more comfortable for patients compared to mammography. However, ultrasound visibility of these markers is challenging and inconsistent, with ultrasound failing to detect the marker approximately 25% of the time. The Mayo-designed investigational biopsy marker takes advantage of an ultrasound phenomenon called twinkling artifact. The Mayo-designed optimized ultrasound twinkling marker may work better than standard biopsy clip marker in imaging lymph nodes in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer.

NCT Number	NCT06999798
Lead Sponsor	Mayo Clinic Collaborators: National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Conditions	Anatomic Stage II Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Anatomic Stage III Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Locally Advanced Breast Carcinoma
Enrollment	20 participants
Start Date	2025-08-29
Primary Completion	2026-11-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-11-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-06