Clinical translation of afterglow luminescence imaging in precision surgery of tumors: opportunities and challenges

The afterglow luminescence imaging technology, as an emerging tool for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment, provides intraoperative navigation and postoperative monitoring methods for surgeons. From a clinical perspective, this article systematically reviews the current application status, clinical translation opportunities, and challenges of afterglow luminescent materials in tumor resection surgeries. From the perspective of a surgeon, it emphasizes the future development needs and calls for the establishment of a cross-disciplinary collaboration platform to jointly promote the application of afterglow luminescence imaging from the laboratory to the clinic.