A pioneer in health care investing, Dr. Mitchell Blutt completed a bachelor’s in psychobiology summa cum laude at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). He subsequently earned a medical degree from Penn Medicine and obtained an MBA from the university’s acclaimed Wharton School. Dr. Mitchell Blutt has served on Penn’s board of trustees as well as that of Penn Medicine.

1. DISTINGUISHING
CANCEROUS LYMPH
NODESWITH
FLUORESCENT DYE
Mitchell Blutt

2. Introduction
■ A pioneer in health care investing, Dr. Mitchell Blutt completed a bachelor’s in
psychobiology summa cum laude at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). He
subsequently earned a medical degree from Penn Medicine and obtained an MBA from the
university’s acclaimed Wharton School. Dr. Mitchell Blutt has served on Penn’s board of
trustees as well as that of Penn Medicine.
The first university in the United States, Penn is a leading research and learning institution
with an annual research budget of over $900 million. Penn Medicine is also one of the
nation’s top recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. In a study supported
by NIH, Penn Medicine surgeons are using a fluorescent dye that causes cancerous cells to
glow for the purpose of locating cancerous lymph node cells during neck and head cancer
operations.
The study is the first of its kind in the world to assess the value of intraoperative molecular
imaging of lymph nodes for head and neck cancer patients.As the cancerous cells glow,
surgeons are able to receive real-time guidance as to which lymph nodes should be
removed, thus improving their ability to spare healthy tissue. As the program continues,
more knowledge will be gained as to which dyes work best for particular cancers.