Novant Health breast surgeon leads trial for breakthrough imaging drug

If you’re searching for a place where lumpectomies – removal of a breast tumor and a small area of tissue around it – are the most common surgery, look to Novant Health’s expanded breast surgery clinics in the Winston-Salem area.

And if you’re looking for a surgeon who has been providing breast surgery exclusively for almost 20 years, consider the career of Dr. David Carr, breast surgeon at Novant Health Breast Surgery - Ardmore. Carr focuses on benign and breast cancer treatments, with both surgical and nonsurgical options.

“My goal is to provide the most compassionate and comprehensive care and to help patients navigate their care,” Carr said. “Our Novant Health breast surgery staff is extraordinary, sharing the same goal. We can’t do it without our staff, from clerical, to nursing, to the genetic arm, to navigators.”

Carr and his team stay on the leading edge, and they make sure patients have access to advanced care. That’s why he led a research and surgical team at Novant Health Medical Park Hospital during the Investigation of Novel Surgical Imaging for Tumor Excision (INSITE) clinical trial.

His team contributed findings to the trial that supported the April 2024 Food and Drug Administration approval of Lumisight (pegulicianine), an imaging drug that allows physicians to determine – during an initial lumpectomy – whether any residual cancerous tissue remains after the tumor is removed. This is the first time the FDA has approved this level of imaging technology for use during a lumpectomy.

Used in conjunction with the trial’s Lumicell Direct Visualization System, the Lumisight drug allows surgeons to see any signs of residual breast cancer so they can more easily eliminate all cancerous tissue during a single lumpectomy. It’s a major breakthrough that supports patients who need lumpectomies. That’s because they can leave surgery and focus on recovery, knowing they won’t need another lumpectomy. And it provides coveted peace of mind, knowing that all cancerous tissue has been removed.

Carr shares insights into his passion for breast surgery as well as his exciting contributions to clinical research with his team.

What motivated you to specialize in breast surgery?

My chairman and co-chairman at the University of Florida, where I completed my internship and residency in general surgery, actually wrote the book entitled The Breast: Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Diseases. They were leaders in the field, so that’s when I was exposed to a lot of breast cancer care and developed my passion.

Was it an easy decision to start working on a clinical trial?

It was a very easy decision. I was very excited about the potential benefits to the patients. One of the more frustrating things as breast surgeons that we encounter is the occasional residual tumor that necessitates second lumpectomies. This technology dealt with trying to remove all of the cancer with the first lumpectomy to avoid subsequent surgeries. That inconveniences the patient and their families, it adds expense, and it continues the mental anxiety of the surgical encounter.

Why is clinical trial enrollment so beneficial to patients?

My partners, Dr. Lori Kellam, Dr. Jennifer Christman, and I are committed to pursuing the most recent diagnostic technology and therapeutics in breast cancer treatment for our patients. Clinical trials are a way for them to access that early while contributing to therapeutic advancements. During this trial, it was exciting when patients realized that this technology helped them avoid a secondary surgery, or detected satellite cancers around the lumpectomy cavity. It was exciting to have them see how it positively affected their care.

Editor's note: Novant Health has more than 300 clinical trials in progress. Find a clinical trial near you.