Optical imaging of breast tumors and of gastrointestinal cancer by laser-induced fluorescence.

Optical imaging offers a high potential for noninvasive detection of cancer in humans. Recent advances in instrumentation for diffuse optical imaging have led to new capabilities for the detection of cancer in highly scattering tissue such as the female breast. We review recent developments in the detection of breast cancer in humans by fluorescent contrast agents. So far, the unspecific contrast agents indocyanine green (ICG) and omocyanine have been applied, whereas molecular probes for direct targeted imaging of this disease are still in preclinical research. We discuss recent improvements in the differentiation of malignant and benign lesions with ICG based on its enhanced extravasation in breast cancer. Whereas fluorescence imaging in thick tissue layers is hampered by strong light scattering, tissue surfaces can be investigated with high spatial resolution. As an example for superficial tumors, lesions of the gastrointestinal tract (GI) are discussed. In these investigations, protoporphyrin IX is used as a tumor-specific (due to its strong enhancement in tumor cells) target for spectroscopic identification and imaging. We present a time-gated method for fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy with strong suppression of tissue autofluorescence and show results on patients with Barrett's esophagus and with colitis ulcerosa.
PMID: 23179887