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Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Combining Reflectance Confocal Microscopy with Optical Coherence Tomography for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Skin Cancers via Image Acquisition
Published on: August 18, 2022
Multimodal imaging for nonmelanoma skin cancer margin delineation
Bo Fan1, Victor A Neel2, Anna N Yaroslavsky1,2
1Department of Physics and Applied Physics, Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, Massachusetts.
Background And Objective:
Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer worldwide. The most effective form of treating this cancer is its surgical removal. As NMSC rarely metastasize, its complete excision is often curative. We investigated the potential of combining Terahertz Pulsed Imaging (TPI) with polarization enhanced reflectance optical imaging for the accurate intraoperative delineation of NMSC.
Materials And Methods:
Fresh thick samples with residual cancer were obtained from surgeries. The samples were imaged within two hours using polarization optical and TPI systems without remounting. Analysis of the TPI results was performed in the frequency domain. Co- and cross-polarized optical images were acquired at 410 nm. Superficial optical images were obtained by subtracting cross-polarized from the respective co-polarized images. Terahertz, optical, and histological images were overlaid and compared.
Results And Conclusions:
Our results show that the frequency powers of diseased and normal skin tissues differ significantly at 0.47 THz. While TPI has demonstrated contrast between diseased and normal tissue, it can also highlight normal structures. As TPI alone lacks the resolution necessary to distinguish between tissue types morphologically, polarization optical imaging was used for the inspection of the suspicious areas highlighted by TPI. Combined TPI and optical imaging has the potential for quick intraoperative delineation of cancers. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:319-326, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Insights
Combining Terahertz Pulsed Imaging (TPI) with polarization optical imaging aids in distinguishing nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) from healthy tissue. This dual-imaging approach offers precise intraoperative delineation for effective surgical removal of NMSC.
Area of Science:
- Medical imaging
- Optical physics
- Dermatology
Background:
- Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer globally.
- Surgical excision is the primary treatment for NMSC, with complete removal often being curative.
- Accurate intraoperative margin assessment is crucial for successful NMSC treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined use of Terahertz Pulsed Imaging (TPI) and polarization-enhanced reflectance optical imaging.
- To assess the potential of this combined approach for accurate intraoperative delineation of NMSC.
Main Methods:
- Fresh surgical samples of NMSC were imaged within two hours using TPI and polarization optical imaging.
- TPI data was analyzed in the frequency domain, focusing on differences between diseased and normal tissue.
- Co- and cross-polarized optical images were acquired and processed to obtain superficial images.
- Terahertz, optical, and histological images were overlaid for comparison.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in frequency powers between diseased and normal skin were observed at 0.47 THz.
- TPI effectively contrasted diseased from normal tissue but also highlighted normal structures.
- Polarization optical imaging provided morphological detail to complement TPI's findings.
- Combined imaging demonstrated potential for rapid intraoperative cancer delineation.
Conclusions:
- The combination of TPI and polarization optical imaging offers a promising tool for intraoperative NMSC margin assessment.
- This dual-modality approach enhances the accuracy of distinguishing cancerous from healthy tissue during surgery.
- Further development could lead to improved surgical outcomes for NMSC patients.
