Clinical label-free endoscopic imaging of biochemical and metabolic autofluorescence biomarkers of benign, precancerous, and cancerous oral lesions

• DOI: 10.1364/boe.460081
• Publication Date: 2022-05-25T15:00:09Z
• Authors: Elvis Duran-Sierra; Shuna Cheng; Rodrigo Cuenca; Beena Ahmed; Jim Ji; Vladislav V. Yako...; Mathias Martinez; Moustafa Al-Khalil; Hussain Al-Enazi; Javier A. Jo
• Keywords: Autofluorescence; Endoscope

Early detection is critical for improving the survival rate and quality of life oral cancer patients; unfortunately, dysplastic early-stage cancerous lesions are often difficult to distinguish from benign during standard clinical examination. Therefore, there a need novel technologies that would enable reliable screening. The autofluorescence properties epithelial tissue provide quantitative information about morphological, biochemical, metabolic cellular alterations accompanying carcinogenesis. This study aimed identify biochemical biomarkers dysplasia could be clinically imaged using multispectral lifetime imaging (maFLIM) endoscopy technologies. In vivo maFLIM endoscopic images benign, precancerous, 67 patients were acquired endoscope. Widefield feature maps generated, statistical analyses applied features providing contrast between dysplastic/cancerous vs. lesions. A total 14 spectral time-resolved found lesions, representing cancer. To best our knowledge, this first demonstration widefield cancer, supporting potential early