title: Simple device for the direct visualization of oral-cavity tissue fluorescence.
abstract: Early identification of high-risk disease could greatly reduce both mortality and morbidity due to oral cancer. We describe a simple handheld device that facilitates the direct visualization of oral-cavity fluorescence for the detection of high-risk precancerous and early cancerous lesions. Blue excitation light (400 to 460 nm) is employed to excite green-red fluorescence from fluorophores in the oral tissues. Tissue fluorescence is viewed directly along an optical axis collinear with the axis of excitation to reduce inter- and intraoperator variability. This robust, field-of-view device enables the direct visualization of fluorescence in the context of surrounding normal tissue. Results from a pilot study of 44 patients are presented. Using histology as the gold standard, the device achieves a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 100% when discriminating normal mucosa from severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ (CIS) or invasive carcinoma. We envisage this device as a suitable adjunct for oral cancer screening, biopsy guidance, and margin delineation.
authors: British Columbia Cancer Research Center, Cancer Imaging Department, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada. plane@bccrc.ca
authors: Pierre M
authors: PM
authors: Lane
authors: Terence
authors: T
authors: Gilhuly
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Whitehead
authors: Haishan
authors: H
authors: Zeng
authors: Catherine F
authors: CF
authors: Poh
authors: Samson
authors: S
authors: Ng
authors: P Michele
authors: PM
authors: Williams
authors: Lewei
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Miriam P
authors: MP
authors: Rosin
authors: Calum E
authors: CE
authors: MacAulay