Image analysis software for the detection of preneoplastic and early neoplastic lesions

Preneoplastic lesions are usually small, and often appear as foci of atypical cells that blend into the surrounding normal tissue without producing a detectable tumor mass. Since these lesions seldom provide adequate tissue for biochemical studies, their detection often depends upon subtle distinctions in cytologic features. Image analysis permits pathologists to obtain quantitative measurements on cytologic and histologic preparations, so that visual impressions can be augmented by quantitative morphometry. Preneoplastic lesions have well-described morphometric features relating to nuclear area, texture, or shape. It is now feasible for every pathology department to capture images of pathologic material with equipment costing less than the price of a microscope. Captured image files can be analyzed using commercial software or software developed in several U.S. government agencies and made freely available to the public. Image analysis has been shown to improve the detection of preneoplastic cells. Recent improvements in the resolution of captured images, in the algorithms that measure preneoplastic descriptors, and in the ease and speed of transmission of images between laboratories, should increase our ability to detect and treat preneoplastic lesions.